Teddy Casino reportedly clarified that communist front organisations like Anakbayan recruit members to involve them in their activist campaigns supposedly related to student and national “issues”.
“Malinaw sa mga charters ng mga ‘yan ay ang nire-recruit nila ay mga kasapian nila para ipaglaban ang iba’t ibang isyung pang-estudyante at pambayan. Ngayon, if it so happens na ‘yung ilang kasapian nila ay nagdesisyon na magrebelde at mamundok, ibang usapin ‘yun,” he said.
…which leads one to wonder what exactly that “ibang usapan” means.
It is important to note that in nowhere in his statements does Casino categorically assert that (1) Anakbayan is not affiliated with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) or that (2) he denounces the activities of its terrorist arm, the New People’s Army (NPA).
Indeed, the key insight in this report on Casino’s statement is not what he said but what he didn’t say.
This, it seems is a communication trick he consistently applied not just in his press releases but also on social media…
Walang mali sa pagiging #Aktibista. Si Digong dating aktibista. Nanay niya aktibista rin. Ang mga aktibista naglilingkod sa masa at nagsusulong ng reporma sa lipunan.
— Teddy Casiño (@teddycasino) August 10, 2019
At some point, a truly switched on journalist should ask Casino all the right and all the confronting questions — and expect categorical answers.
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