On the Justice Secretary’s Opinion on the Role of CPP-NPA-NDF linked groups in the May 2022 Election

The Justice Secretary was quoted saying,

“There’s nothing unlawful for any groups associated with the CPP/NPA to support any political party or individual in the forthcoming elections.”

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“It is when they commit acts of violence to sow terror and destabilize public order in the guise of exercising their political right that will prompt the Anti-Terrorism Council to take action.”

With outmost deference to our SOJ’s statement, we at the NTF-ELCAC, humbly differ and state that;

We strongly condemn and oppose any form of alliance building, collaboration, and cooperation between and among the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorist organization and their front organizations and any political party and/or political aspirant in the May 9, 2022 elections.

Any form of alliance between groups associated with the CPP-NPA-NDF and any political party or candidate is still an alliance with the CPP-NPA-NDF terrorist organization because their front organizations form part and parcel of the so-called “revolutionary dual tactics” by the CPP-NPA-NDF which is composed of a so called ‘protracted armed struggle’ manifested in the acts of terrorism and atrocities against the Filipino people and a political struggle undertaken by the CPP-NPA-NDF through their front organizations referred to by the Justice Secretary as groups associated with the CPP-NPA.

The Secretary of Justice may seem to be correct because an overt act, generally speaking, needs to be done for a crime/felony to be committed but we invoke the moral compass/equitable grounds in our stand. As the saying goes, “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.”

In the words of the Justice Secretary himself, action will be taken if the groups associated with the CPP-NPA commit acts of violence, sow terror, and commit acts that will destabilize the public order. Hence, the NTF-ELCAC calls on the Department of Justice to immediately conduct an investigation on the groups associated with the CPP-NPA because we believe that we have more than sufficient bases to cause the conduct of an investigation of the crimes committed by the CPP-NPA and the groups associated with them.

The NTF-ELCAC through the whole-of-nation approach anchored on good governance has successfully caused the Balik-Loob of CPP-NPA-NDF cadres and front organization leaders, members, and mass base supporters.

These Cadres (former CPP-NPA-NDF) speak of the atrocities and of the abuses committed by the CPP-NPA-NDF based on their personal knowledge.

Many of them are the victims themselves of these abuses. These individuals have vowed to speak the truth and to work for a just and lasting peace for the Filipino people by ending the local communist armed conflict.

Their ordeals literally translate to the undeniable fact that the CPP-NPA-NDF has committed a series and a multitude of crimes, such as, but not limited to,

qualified human trafficking,

rape,

child abuse,

murder, coercion, widespread use of anti-personnel mines,

the International Humanitarian Law,

desecration of IP ancestral domains, forced recruitment of IP children,

violation of RA 11188, RA 9853,

extortion, arson, terrorism financing,

election-related acts of violence and extortion through their permit to campaign and permit to win schemes.

It is also our collective stand that the opinion of the Secretary of Justice does not, and will not mean as an encouragement to those who intend or has already commenced any form of alliance building with the CPP-NPA-NDF and the groups associated with them in relation to the forthcoming elections.

Let it be known that while it is the Justice Secretary’s opinion that showing support by any groups associated with CPP-NPA is not “illegal”, it does not mean that it is morally right for any political party or candidate to accept, or solicit such support from an organization associated with the CPP-NPA terrorist organization.

Such an unfortunate alliance, should a political party or candidate subscribe to it; is the highest form of betrayal an aspiring elective public official can commit.

Communist terrorists have no place in the hearts and minds and in the communities of the God-fearing Filipino people.

We, the NTF-ELCAC, stand united with the Filipino people in our common aspiration to win the Peace by Ending the Local Communist Armed Conflict.

Secretary Hermogenes C. Esperon, Jr.

Vice-Chairperson, NTF-ELCAC

17 March 2022