Credibility

When the noise is loudest, that’s usually when the questions hit hardest.

Tinay Palabay of Karapatan loudly proclaims about former rebel Alma Gabin: “Wala hong kredibilidad ’yan! Bayad ’yan ng militar!” It’s the familiar line of today’s national democratic organizations. Since they cannot counter the very real links that they have with the CPP-NPA, they resort to attacking former rebels' credibility, even their reintegration to society. They denounce so-called red-tagging, yet label truth-tellers and former rebels as traitors or military-paid hacks.

But then comes the counter-question, simple and piercing: “Explain mo nga Negros killings?” They cannot and will not. And it's not just the Negros killings. It's all the other times when the CPP and the NPA commit crimes but escape the loud scrutiny of the national democratic organizations.

Credibility is not decided by who shouts louder or who throws the sharper accusation. It is tested by consistency. By whether outrage applies to all victims, not just those that fit a preferred narrative. By whether human rights actually mean something even when the perpetrators are in line with your organization and ideology.