Radicals exploit Caritas for funds
The NTF-ELCAC met with Caritas Internationale in Rome, Caritas Belgique and Manila Archbishop Cardinal Antonio Tagle, who is the president of Caritas worldwide
Even some prominent church-based organizations in Europe are falling victims to the “financial opportunism” of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
This was bared by Maj. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for civil military operations and one of the spokesmen of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), during the weekly “Straight Talk with Daily Tribune.”
Among the church-based organizations supposedly being exploited by the CPPNPA are the Vatican-based Caritas Internationale, Caritas Austria, Caritas Belgium, Bread of the World, Diakone Katasthropenhlife, Evangelisher Etwicklungsdient, Caritas Switzerland, Cooperation Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Oxfam UK and Oxfam Ireland.
According to Parlade, these are among the international church-based non-government organizations (NGO) that were unwittingly channeling funds to the CPP-NPA and its front organizations.
Tagle engaged
Parlade said the NTF-ELCAC already met with Caritas Internationale in Rome, Caritas Belgique and Manila Archbishop Cardinal Antonio Tagle, who is the president of Caritas worldwide.
At the local front, Parlade particularly identified the Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (Misfi) and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) as among the NGO that received cash donations from international donors.
“We told Cardinal Tagle that we consistently see Caritas in documents recovered from the CPP-NPA. We told him ‘you might not know, Caritas funds end up to the underground movement,’” Parlade said.
“This is part of the opportunism, financial opportunism of the CPP-NPA,” he added.
Parlade said the international church-based groups are being exploited by the CPP-NPA as they are blinded on where actually their donations end up, especially during disasters.
“Let’s say during calamities, when Caritas Internationale gives the go-signal, all chapters, say in Australia, Ireland and UK will donate… All of them will send donations,” Parlade said.
NPA behind Lee attack
“Then, Caritas Manila would not know where these funds end up when downloaded. Incidentally, who ends up using these funds? Those members who are infiltrated,” he added.
Previously, Parlade identified several NGO based in the European Union and Belgium as donors of various CPP-NPA-linked groups, like RMP, MISFI, Karapatan, Ibon Foundation, Gabriela, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Alcadev.
He claimed that billions of pesos in foreign donations are ending up in the hands of CPP-NPA front organizations in support of the decades-old armed rebellion against the Philippine government.
Meanwhile, Parlade said currently left-leaning groups have taken over the case of Chinese-American Brandon Lee, one of the founders of Ifugao People’s Movement, tagged as the group behind agitating highlanders to go against the government.
Last August, there was an attempt on the life of Lee, who has a native partner in Ifugao and has been staying in the province for seven years now.