Aside from having their banks accounts frozen, members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), can be subjected to wiretapping by the government once proscribed by a court, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Monday, Dec. 28.
Because of this, Undersecretary Adrian Sugay, who is in charge of the National Prosecution Service (NPS), said the government will continue to pursue the proscription case the DOJ has filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) even though the CPP-NPA has been designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC).
“Proscription petition will proceed,” assured the undersecretary.
“Designation is mainly for purposes of the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) exercising its authority to freeze assets or funds,” he explained.
NPS Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento explained, once the proscription petition has been granted, the Manila RTC will have the CPP-NPA “declared as terrorist organization.”
“(In terms of) effects, they could be legally wiretapped and their bank accounts could be examined and eventually frozen,” Malcontento said.
The ATC had issued a resolution dated Dec. 9 which designated the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization among other groups it listed.
“Pretending to work for the betterment of the community, the CPP-NPA is able to receive support from international Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to raise funds and continue perpetuating its rebellious deeds,” the ATC earlier said in a statement.
“By striking fear through violence, they also employ extortion and collection of fees during campaign periods. CPP-NPA has been tagged in numerous election-related encounters,” it added.
Aside from the Philippines, the CPP-NPA have already been listed as terrorist organizations by other countries like the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.