The Philippine National Police (PNP) was elated with the designation of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) as a terrorist organization, saying it would be a big help in the effort to end communist insurgency in the country.
PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar said the inclusion of the NDF in the terror list will also deny members and leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army the frequent alibi that they are peace talks consultants whenever they are arrested by security forces.
“There have been a lot of members and leaders of the CPP-NPA who would claim to be peace talks consultants whenever they are arrested. With this development, they will no longer have alibi and this will also strengthen our operations to put and end to communist insurgency problems in the country,” said Eleazar.
In a five-page Resolution No. 21 issued last month, the Anti-Terrorism Council chaired by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea cited the NDF as an integral part of the CPP-NPA.
“Article IX of the 2016 CPP Constitution shows the command, lead and guidance of the CPP over the NPA, while Article X shows that the NDF (a.k.a. NDF of the Philippines) is the core and most consolidated group that provides support to the armed and organizational expansion of the CPP-NPA,” the Resolution read.
Eleazar said that the continuous existence of the CPP-NPA-NDF is no longer about any ideology, saying it it is more about the power of the guns through threats, intimidation, extortion and attacks that included civilians as casualties.
He cited the case of college football player Keith Absalom and his uncle who died in an NPA ambush in Masbate and the death of watchman Eldrin Daraman who was killed when the CPP-NPA attacked a construction site in Surigao del Sur.