In our country now, people who consider themselves enemies of the state are being allowed to run for high government seats. These long-time enemies of the democratic system, who slay men in uniform, destroyed government properties, and attempted to dismantle the government, are now being embraced by the very institution that they sought to dismantle. This is not merely a political blunder—it is a sharp national security threat that requires proper attention before it’s too late.
Communist rebels and anti-government insurgents have been conducting ideological and armed warfare against the Philippine government for decades. Their shared objective was always the same: to topple the democratic order and place their extremist ideology in its place. But instead of keeping afar off, they are now allowed access to power through democracy. The government, constrained by its democratic ideals, permits them to stand for public office—despite believing things contrary to the very system they would represent. It is a perilous contradiction as they can promote their agenda, erode democratic institutions, and advance policies that shield and reward their cadres.
The enactment of laws that protect these groups, such as the “anti-red-tagging” law, makes it difficult to prosecute and charge individuals with connections to insurgent groups. These bills do not only shield innocent civilians from frivolous charges; they also offer protection to those with records of fighting the government. This protection emboldens them to become more aggressive and unobstructed in their operations and silences those brave enough to question their intentions. What sort of government is it that lets its adversaries author their immunity?
It must be gross negligence for legislators to just sit back and allow those with subversive backgrounds to ascend to high government positions. National security is not only a question of defending borders against foreign invasion; it is also a question of keeping out penetration from within. The government must build clear legal fences to keep anti-government forces from seeking high office. The rest of the world’s democracies have strong anti-extremist policies—why not the Philippines? The law has to be firm: nobody who tries to topple the government should ever be employed there.
The nation stands at a fork in the road, and it’s headed down the wrong path. If this continues, the Philippines can soon be governed by individuals who don’t believe in its own democracy. The government needs to move now before it’s too late. Legislation needs to be passed and obeyed so that its foes of democracy cannot take advantage of its freedoms to destroy it inside out. This country’s peace-loving, law-abiding people need to be protected—not just from the rest of the world, but from the foes who have occupied seats of authority.
