Statements of support to Anne Tauli

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

(Hereunder are statements of support to Anne Tauli, 70 who was allegedly branded by State forces as a top officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army and taken by State forces in her hometown of Besao, Mountain Province Thursday and airlifted to Baguio City raising concern among concerned folks. In the
Summer Capital, she denied allegations of being with the CPP-NPA, much more an officer of the communist group).

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We, the family of Anne Tauli - 70 years old and the president of the Batil-ang Peypeyan clan, call for vigilance and support from friends and family to ensure that Annie returns home safely.

This morning, she was transported by military helicopter from Besao to Baguio. Annie agreed to go in the company of relatives to clear herself of charges she is being accused of. Relatives had facilitated the process to clear her name. She has been locked down in Besao since the beginning of ECQ.

Annie has long been experiencing threats to her life and security. These threats heightened in March after she was falsely linked to an incident that happened on March 13, wherein three alleged NPA members were killed in a police operation in Baguio City. After this incident, there were reports of a shoot to kill order against her in the allegation that she had escaped from the incident even when she was in Besao the whole time.

There was an attempt to arrest her in March, which forced her to seek sanctuary. She has been under immense threat and pressure since then, which made her decide to clear her name. She is now under the custody of Gen. Esperon and Mayor Magalong in Baguio City and is being processed for travel to Manila for interrogation.

She denies being a member of the NPA and said that there is no reason for her to return to the fold of the law, being a law-abiding citizen. People know her well as an active leader who frequents social gatherings. She has been working to foster community unity in Besao.

We stand by our Manang/Auntie/Lola Annie. We vouch for her integrity as a good-standing member of the community. We call for an end to all false accusations against her immediately. Please help Annie by posting your messages of support.

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Here is another statement by members of the Batil-ang Peypeyan clan wherein Anne is a member:

This is a reaction to the media reports that Ms. Anne Margaret A. Tauli is a high-ranking member of the New People’s Army.

Members of the Batil-ang-Peypeyan Clan which traces its roots to Besao, Mt. Province are alarmed at and deeply concerned about the news. Many members are based in Baguio and Benguet and in various parts of the Philippines and overseas.

Annie, as we fondly call her, has been the President of our huge clan. She is well-loved and revered by both the older and younger members of the clan. She regularly visits and spends as much time as she could with the ageing members of our close-knit clan. At the same time, she celebrates with the younger ones when they welcome the birth of children, drink to birthdays, debuts, or wedding anniversaries, or toast to graduations, engagements, promotions, good health, or other blessings. You could say she is the cement that binds the young and old together.

Hence, she was the logical intergenerational choice for President of the Batil-ang-Peypeyan clan. She never missed clan gatherings and meetings in Besao and Baguio which she regularly convened.

And it is not only in clan get-togethers that one may encounter her. For decades, she has always been actively participating in Besao community events whether organized by the “umili” or the municipal government, or whether held in Besao or elsewhere. To us, Igorots, the birth of a child, the wedding of a community member, and the funeral of one of us are community affairs. She has been a constant presence in gatherings like these in both Besao and Baguio. Her visibility in the communities of which she is part belies claims that she is a member of the New Peoples Army. Aside from living a very active public life, she also has a very active social media presence. To our minds, NPA members operate underground and live clandestinely. Our Lola/Aunt/Manang Annie has always had a conspicuous existence. You cannot miss her.

We stand by our Manang/Auntie/Lola Annie. We vouch for her integrity as a good-standing member of the community and as a contributor to its constant progress. We call for an end to all false accusations against her immediately.

(Signed: Members of the Batil-ang Peypeyan Clan)