Non-government organization Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) denied the allegation of the Philippine National Police-Region 6 that they are a Communist Front Organization (CFO) saying it is “purely malicious and fake news”.
There is no “alias Ariel” who is a member of Buhi nga Aksyon para sa Kauswagan kag Pag-amlig kag Siguridad sang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon (BAKAS) under PDG, it said in a statement on Thursday, July 27.
The Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Western Visayas, in a Facebook post on July 24 , said that “alias Ariel” surrendered to the police on July 24 and claimed to be a member of BAKAS, which it tagged as an alleged CFO.
“Ariel” also surrendered an improvised 12-gauge shotgun and 9mm caliber gun, PCADG also reported.
PDG said the allegation is purely malicious and fake news that only aims to malign the name of PDG Inc. and its partners, especially the people’s organizations (POs) such as BAKAS.
“Naming PDG in the alleged surrender of ‘alias Ariel’ being linked to communist front organizations is a clear act of red-tagging and harassment seriously violating human rights and civil liberties, putting in grave danger the lives of the PDG staff, volunteers and worst the members of the farmers associations that PDG serves,” their statement said.
Both PDG and BAKAS are recognized and accredited with the Kabankalan City local government, they also said.
The press release also said that PDG works with BAKAS as partners in implementing agrarian reform and sustainable food production to address the poverty condition of small farmers in Barangay Orong, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
“We assure the public that PDG Inc., as a proactive organization, will continue its institutional mandate to work with its partners on community building and socio-economic development, and in pursuing peace based on justice,” it added.*