Tarlac City, Central Luzon — Just a day after the commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Kabataan Partylist Central Luzon Coordinator and student activist Thomas Franco, faced surveillance by the elements of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).�

Last February 26, at around 10:00 PM, Franco reported that four uniformed personnel who introduced themselves as members of the CIDG forcibly entered his former rented boarding house asking about his whereabouts and personal details. The said personnel terror-tagged him and alleged that he is a terrorist recruiter for the New People’s Army (NPA). This is the fourth case of state-sponsored harassment and terror-tagging against Franco just this year. 

Hailing from Hacienda Luisita and a grandson of one of the martyrs in the infamous Hacienda Luisita Massacre, Thomas has been active in raising the political consciousness of the youth, the campaign for genuine free education and student rights and welfare in the region. He has also been active in the electoral campaign of Kabataan Partylist in Central Luzon. 

In a statement released by Kabataan Partylist, Congressman Raoul Manuel condemned the continued terror-tagging against progressive groups and their volunteers, stating that acts like this violate the Commision on Elections (COMELEC) Resolution No. 111116. He reiterated that terror-tagging brings nothing but danger to the lives of individuals. Manuel believes that the government should re channel its funds towards basic social services such as education, food and healthcare instead of spending it on its bloody counter-insurgency programs.