NDFP urges foreign countries to speak up vs. 'misdesignation' of CPP-NPA as terror groups

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on Monday appealed to other nations to "raise its voice" against the Duterte administration's "misdesignation" of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as terror groups through the Anti-Terrorism Council.

In a press statement, the NDFP underscored that by misdesignating the group, the Duterte administration made peace talks "ever more impossible, shattering the people’s aspirations for a political settlement of the civil war in the country."

As it denounced the Philippine government's action, the NDFP claimed that the Filipinos' armed resistance has since been recognized by domestic and foreign entities as a "legitimate struggle against foreign and local oppression."

"We specifically urge the people and governments of the United States, the European Union, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom to voice out their position against the misdesignation of the CPP and how this is set to be used as pretext for the impending clampdown against democratic rights in the country," the NDFP said.

According to the NDFP, the misdesignation was allegedly part of the current administration's preparations "to carry out a heightened suppression drive, crackdown and illegalization against various patriotic, democratic and progressive mass organizations, human rights defenders, political parties, non-governmental organizations, institutions and agencies."

The CPP-NPA was designated a terrorist group in Resolution Number 12 that was approved on December 9, 2020. 

The Anti-Terrorism Council cited Section 25 of the Republic Act No. 11479 or The Anti–Terrorism Act of 2020, which states that it may designate an individual, groups of persons, organization or association whether domestic or foreign, as a terrorist, one who finances terrorism or a terrorist organization or group "upon finding a probable cause."

The NDFP said the removal of the CPP-NPA from the "terrorist list" of foreign nations would be of great help to Filipinos and all advocates of human rights and peace in "pushing back the Duterte scheme of fascist dictatorship in the name of rabid anti-communism and in generating the conditions for the resumption of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations."

The NDFP said in misdesignating the CPP-NPA, the government cited as basis the inclusion of the CPP in the so-called “terror-list” of the United States, the European Union, New Zealand, as well as Australia and the United Kingdom.

It added that the government misrepresented the last two countries as their “terrorist lists” do not include the CPP.

"None of the aforementioned countries actually asked that the CPP be 'designated' by the Duterte government," the NDFP said.

"We believe that the democracy-loving people of these countries would not want to be associated with the bloody campaign of murder and armed suppression of the Duterte regime that has gained international notoriety for widespread killings and abuse of human rights," it said.

"We call on the friends of the Filipino people to raise their voices and amplify the Filipino people’s demand to end the reign of tyranny and state terrorism," it added.

The NDFP said it would be "just and wise" for those few governments that continue to list the CPP and NPA as “terrorist” organizations to remove their names as the latter adhere to the international standards on human rights and the humanitarian conduct of war as well as to the GRP-NDFP Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. —KBK, GMA News