CPP rejects Anti-Terrorism Council designation as terrorist group

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Saturday rejected the decision of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) to designate the organization, as well as its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), as “terrorists.”

“The designation by the ATC is a precursor for heightened fascist suppression against the broad democratic forces which are being red-baited and persecuted for fighting Duterte’s tyrannical rule and schemes to perpetuate the Duterte political dynasty,” said Marco Valbuena, information officer of the CPP, in a statement issued on Saturday.

“The regime is setting the stage for all-out suppression of democratic rights using ‘anti-terrorism’ as pretext,” he added.

The ATC on December 9 approved its Resolution No. 12 designating the CPP/NPA, as well as other groups, as terrorist organizations.

“The ATC found probable cause to designate the CPP/NPA as a terrorist group for its violent and armed activities that resulted in the destruction of properties, loss of lives, and damage to business and economy as cited in the pending proscription case and other collated reports from the security and intelligence sector,” the council said.

Valbuena, however, argued that CPP/NPA is not included in the list of proscribed terrorist organizations of the United Kingdom as well as of Australia.

The Anti-Terrorism Law, he added, said that the ATC can only adopt the terrorist proscription by foreign countries, including the United States, if there is a request for designation coming from them. There was no indication in the ATC resolution that a request was made by the US, New Zealand, or the European Union, he said.

Valbuena maintained that the CPP and the NPA are revolutionary organizations that aim to advance the national and democratic interests of the Filipino people.

“The CPP and NPA stand against terrorism which involves inflicting violence on unarmed civilians in violation of international humanitarian law,” he added, adding their causes have long been recognized as “legitimate.”

The NPA, Valbuena added, also recognizes and applies the Geneva Conventions in the conduct of its military operations.

“The NPA’s Three Rules of Discipline and Eights Points of Attention, which serve as the moral code of its Red fighters, both uphold respect and guarantee for the rights and welfare of the people,” he said.

Apart from Resolution No. 12, the ATC also approved another resolution designating 17 other organizations, including the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in South-East Asia and the Maute ISIS, as terrorist groups.

In July, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the anti-terror bill into law despite objections from various groups, including the United Nations human rights body and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. (GMA News)