Anti-Terror Council tags NDFP as terrorist group

THE ANTI-TERRORISM Council has designated the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) as a terrorist organization, citing its link to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). In a resolution dated June 23 and released to the public on Monday, the council said the NDFP is “organized, controlled, acting on behalf or at the direction of, and operated by the Communist Party of the Philippines — a designated terrorist organization.” Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said the designation does not mean members of the NDFP will be arrested because “the principal effect of designation… is the freezing of bank accounts and other financial assets of the designated person entity, not immediate arrest.” Leaders of the NDFP, which defines itself as a “revolutionary united front organization of the Filipino people fighting for national freedom and for the democratic rights of the people,” were involved in the aborted peace talks between the government and the CPP. Meanwhile, the CPP said in a statement on Monday that the designation is a scheme of President Rodrigo R. Duterte “to draw away attention from the regime’s crimes against humanity and its policy of attacking civilians in the course of waging its dirty counterinsurgency war.” CPP also said the designation was done to “further (shut) all doors to peace negotiations as a means of resolving the roots of the civil war in the country.” In May, the government released a list naming 19 members of the CPP and its armed group New People’s Army, and 10 members of Mindanao-based militant groups, as terrorists. —