Various youth organizations held an online press conference earlier today, April 21, on the abduction of Alicia Lucena by National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) agents using swab testing as disguise.
Youth organizations expressed grave condemnation of the state’s use of randomized swab testing to “extend its fascist agenda.”
Sofia Bangayan, who was with Lucena during her abduction, narrated the whole incident, cited the barangay officials’ clear involvement in the operation. Bangayan stated they have long coordinated with the barangay for their COVID-19 response, and upon an uninformed advisory from the barangay, they initially thought it was the kind of help they were seeking.
They were escorted to the barangay hall and were told to wait. However, Francis Lucena and a personnel from the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) came to the scene, and sat beside Alicia. Bangayan mentioned Lucena’s panic as she started asking Francis Lucena of his motive in being there.
Lucena was incessantly queried by the barangay officials and IATF personnel which engendered tension and further agitated Lucena. Bangayan continually asked the barangay officials to put the interrogation to a halt as Lucena was in a panic, however to no avail. They were also barred from contacting anyone from the office.
Bangayan then stated Hands Off Our Children spokesperson, National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict agent, and Alicia’s mother Relisa Lucena’s hysteric arrival. Alicia resisted, however, as she was coerced by around four to five people to come with them, as per Bangayan’s narrative. Alicia was taken to a car despite continuous struggle to break free from the people holding her down.
Bangayan was brought to a facility to undergo the swab test and was sent home. Further information on Alicia’s safety and whereabouts are still in question.
Various youth mass organizations vehemently denounced the terrorizing abduction of Alicia Lucena. Anakbayan Southern Tagalog spokesperson Kobi Tolentino regards that it is in the interest of the state to continuously silence dissent and hamper the critical calls of the people. They also underscore their clear opposition to the state’s false parade of progress.
“Hindi ito kaunlaran, ito ay malinaw na terorismo ng estado,” Tolentino asserted.
(This is not progress, it is state terrorism.)
College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) spokesperson Regine Arninio asserts the Filipinos’ long-standing neglected and further impoverished state and is continually being mistreated by the state.
“Nawa’y ating pagnilayan na ang kabataang tumahak sa landas ng pakikibaka ay hindi isang subersibong desisyon ngunit, ito’y isang mapagpalaya at dakilang gawain,” Arninio stated.
(May we reflect that the youth who join the path of struggle is not a subversive decision; rather, it is emancipating and noble.)
The organizations raised their condemnation of the blatant opportunism of the state in weaponizing swab testing and ignoring the people’s need for a concrete set of plans to address the pandemic. They call for the defunding of the NTF-ELCAC and the junking of the Anti-Terror Law (ATL) that continues to corrupt the rights of the people.
Anakbayan National and the League of Filipino Students (LFS) were on high alert on Tuesday night, April 20, as threats of harassment and police raid, alongside surveillance surrounding their national offices, was instigated by the police.
“Sisingilin namin ang teroristang Duterte, ang NTF-ELCAC, at lahat ng kasapakat nila sa pagpatay ng mga mamamayang Pilipino sa gutom, kahirapan, COVID, at pasismo. Papatalsikin siya ng naghihimagsik na kabataan,” Anakbayan spokesperson Jeann Miranda asserted.
(We will hold the terrorist Duterte, NTF-ELCAC, and all their cohorts accountable in killing the Filipinos in hunger, poverty, COVID, and fascism. He will be overthrown by the revolutionary youth.)
