Army lauds EU, Belgium for cutting off funds for CPP-NPA ‘fronts’

BRIGADIER General Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander lauds the European Union (EU) and Belgium for cutting off funds to CPPNPA front organizations.

Five months after the Philippine government has asked the EU and Belgium to stop funding CPP-NPA front organizations, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy announced in a press statement last July 27, 2019 that international financial aid to leftist groups tagged as CPP-NPA fronts has been almost completely shut off.

The CPP-NPA front organizations whose fundings were cut off among others include, Karapatan, Alcadev (Alternative Learming Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development), Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) and Ibon Foundation.

The EU and Belgium officials engaged last February this year by Major General Antonio Parlade Jr, who represented the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), were convinced that indeed the

CPP-NPA is a terrorist organization and therefore decided to cut off funding to said front organizations.

It can be recalled that the United States (2002), United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, European Union (2018) and the Philippines (2017) declared CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.

“This development is another big blow to the CPP-NPANDF not only at the national level but also here in Negros island. And it is expected in the coming months, that their organization will continue to weaken as they will experience scarcity of funds to finance their recruitment, propaganda, mass base building and terroristic activities,” said Brig. Gen. Arevalo.

“If the EU which is composed of almost 30 countries cuts the funding to CPP-NPA front organizations, all the more that local government units should ensure that similar organizations shall not get support of any kind from the government as embodied in the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2112018, prohibiting giving of support to left-wing rebel groups”, Brig. Gen. Arevalo added.

“We are also submitting a report to higher headquarters which we are requesting to be copy furnished to the different embassies, on the brutal and barbaric (ISIS style) killing of the four PNP personnel last July 18, 2019 in Ayungon, Negros Oriental by the CPP-NPA, which only proves that they are really a terrorist organization and violator of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law,” Brig. Gen. Arevalo further added./tde