Leaders of the Alter Trade Corporation vowed to continue their social development work, in the face of what they call "imminent extra-judicial death" in the hands of priest-turned-rebel Frank Fernandez and the National Democratic Front-Negros.

Norma Mugar, ATC president, said the recent statement of Fernandez arbitrarily imposed the "death sentence" on ATC leaders, and his admission that the New People's Army was behind in the burning of their cargo truck in Aug. 13 last year, is a clear admission of a military action committed against a civilian entity.

This comes as an irony from an organization that is raising protests on alleged extra-judicial killings and forced disappearances of activists blamed on the government, Mugar added.

Fernandez, secretary of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros, as claimed by the military, called ATC leaders and Akbayan Rep. Etta Rosales "hypocrites" and accused them of being promoters of what it calls "semi-colonial unfair trade and anti-communist propagandists of the US-Arroyo regime".

Fernandez also called the ATC an anti-people organization and further claimed that ATC leaders used the masses to enrich themselves by serving as "middlemen", who dictate the prices of bananas they are buying from farmers, and sell at much higher prices to other countries.

ATC dismissed accusations of Fernandez as baseless. Fernandez also slammed at ATC for profit-making.

In her letter-reply to NDF- Negros, a copy of which was furnished to the DAILY STAR, Mugar explained that while ATC was a private corporation during its inception, it upheld a vision and mission for sustainable social development of small farmers and farm workers in Negros.

She said ATC forged solidarity through people-to-people trade with Japanese consumers's cooperatives facilitated by Alter Trade Japan, which later expanded to Europe and other Southeast Asian countries. Mugar also debunked claims of Fernandez that ATC is involved in any counter-insurgency program of the government.

She said revolutionary taxation was the main agenda of NDF when the NPA burned the ATC truck, as they had demanded from them P30 million. "ATC cannot afford to pay the P30 million demanded. Its profits are already earmarked for capability building of partner growers and empowerment of rural communities", Mugar said.*GPB

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