(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army as a “terrorist group.”
This was announced by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing on Tuesday, December 5.
“The President just asked me to announce this declaration,” he told reporters as he announced the President’s decision declaring the NPA as a terrorist organization.
Roque said that it was clear in the declaration that President Duterte only referred to the CPP-NPA, and not the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) which is considered the legal front of the CPP. The NDF is also referred to as the coalition of progressive and leftist political parties and its other related groups.
The declaration of President Duterte classifying the CPP-NPA as a terrorist group was signed on Tuesday, December 5.
“There’s no mention of the NDF. The document says CPP-NPA,” Roque said referring to the President’s declaration.
Asked by reporters what will be the status of CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison, Roque said that he is a foreign citizen, having acquired his citizenship while living in exile in the Netherlands.
“Joma is a foreign national. If it can be proven that he is in fact, a part of the CPP-NPA, then he can be proceeded against,” Roque said.
Roque also stressed that giving financial contribution to the CPP-NPA, especially now that it had been classified as a terrorist group, would be a criminal offense, citing United Nations issuance on this.
The International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in resolution issued on December 9, 1999.
The Presidential Spokesperson also cited Republic Act 10168 or “The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012” which made the “financing of terrorism a crime against the Filipino people, against humanity, and against the law of nations.”
RA 10168 also made mention of Republic Act No. 9372, otherwise known as the “Human Security Act of 2007”, as well as several international conventions and protocols against terrorism and others related to this to which the Philippines is a state party.
Under RA 10168, specifically section 10, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has the authority to “investigate financing of terrorism.”
“The AMLC, either upon its own initiative or at the request of the ATC (Anti-Terrorism Council), is hereby authorized to investigate: (a) any property or funds that are in any way related to financing of terrorism or acts of terrorism; (b) property or funds of any person or persons in relation to whom there is probable cause to believe that such person or persons are committing or attempting or conspiring to commit, or participating in or facilitating the financing of terrorism or acts of terrorism as defined herein,” it said.
RA 10168 was enacted into law in June 2012 during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III.
President Duterte made known his plan to issue a proclamation that will declare the NPA as a terrorist group in a speech on November 18.
“I’ll be issuing a proclamation. I will remove them from the category of a legal entity or at least a semi-movement which would merit our attention, placing them pareho sa (the same as in) Amerika, terrorist,” Duterte said during his November 18 speech.
The NPA has been on the United States’ terror list since 2002.
The President said the communist armed wing should be considered as criminals and terrorists following the death of a four-month old baby and two other civilians in an ambush conducted by the NPA on November 9 in Bukidnon.
President Duterte has already formally ended peace talks with the communists, cancelling any negotiations with the CPP-NDF citing the “acts of violence and hostilities” of the NPA rebels.
In Proclamation 360, Duterte said it is “unfortunate” that the members of the NDF-CPP-NPA “have failed to show their sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine and meaningful peaceful negotiations.”
Roque said that the NDF political consultants who had been earlier temporarily released by the President should already surrender or face re-arrest with the formal cancellation of the peace talks between the two parties.
But consultants and political prisoners who are at least 70 years old are exempted from this order based on humanitarian grounds, Roque stressed.
