Mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan of Sadanga town, Mt. Province (Photo from Mayor Ganggangan Facebook page)

MANILA – A Mountain Province town mayor expressed disgust over leftist groups’ arrogant misrepresentation of Igorots and Cordillerans to push for the communist ideology that has already been a lingering "virus" in the country.

Sadanga Mayor Gabino P. Ganggangan, in his Facebook post on April 21, said leftist organizations nor their officers are never authorized to speak on behalf of the natives of Mt. Province.

“At this time of national health emergency, the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations (leftists) are again exploiting the situation to bolster their agitations against our duly constituted government,” Gavino said, referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front.

The Cordillera People's Alliance (CPA), he added, along with their allied leftist groups have been criticizing the government, organizing rallies and protest activities geared towards heightening dissent as they have always been doing for the past decades.

“They keep on doing these things using our collective identity as IGOROTS/ KAIGOROTAN and Cordillerans especially wearing our native attire and gongs which are rather reserved for use in rituals and other cultural traditions,” he said. “They project the impression to the world that they represent us all as if we ever gave them such mandate to speak for us!!!”

He assured that as mayor of Sadanga, Mt. Province, his constituents will never give communists the consent to represent them.

As the country battles the dreaded coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), he urged other officials to insulate their people from the "communist virus" lurking for the past five decades.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

“As elected officials in our provinces and region let’s make it our duty to guide and lead our constituents especially shielding our youth from their influence,” he said.

He also urged them, being the legitimate representatives and leaders of the people, to take a stand publicly just like what he did. (PNA)