‘Arbitrary and baseless,’ CPP says of terrorist designation for 16 orgs

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Wednesday said the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC)’s declaration of 16 organizations allied with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines as terrorist groups was “arbitrary and baseless.”

In a statement, the CPP said all the 16 organizations identified are “patriotic and democratic” groups, citing that they have long been fighting for the rights and interests of their represented sectors, even during the Martial Law period.

“By remaining underground, these organizations have successfully avoided the acts of suppression of the reactionary state. Their members, numbering in the tens of thousands, are incognito and unidentifiable,” the CPP said in a statement.

“We anticipate the NTF-ELCAC/ATC’s to use the resolution as blanket authority to clamp down on social activists by accusing them of being members of any of these organizations, in violation even of its own constitution and legal processes,” it added.

The CPP said the ATC will possibly file more charges against activists, human rights defenders, and critics of the regime, including the recent arrest of a doctor, who is an advocate of Lumad communities in Mindanao.

According to the CPP, the declaration of the ATC was also part of the preparations to “steal” the upcoming May elections by aiming “to terrorize the people.”

“The declaration, contained in Resolution No. 28 of the NTF-ELCAC/ATC (dated January 22, 2022 but published only yesterday) is part of the heightening campaign of suppression of the US-Duterte regime against the broad democratic forces, reinforces its reign of state terror,” the CPP said.

“By aiming to terrorize the people, the declaration is part of preparations to steal the upcoming May presidential elections to ensure the victory of the Marcos-Duterte candidates,” it added.

ATC vice chairperson Hermogenes Esperson said the organizations are part of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) and  National Democratic Front (NDF), which have also been designated as terrorist groups in December 2020 and July 2021, respectively.

The ATC claimed that Jose Maria Sison and former NPA members identified these 16 organizations and that their involvement with communists were validated by documents and publications of the CPP and the NDF. — Richa Noriega/BM, GMA News