BRIGADIER General Benedict Arevalo, 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander, lauded the European Union (EU) and Belgium for cutting off funds to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) front organizations.
Five months after the Philippine government 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 have been almost completely shut off.
The CPP-NPA front organizations whose fundings were cut off 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).
They were convinced that the CPP-NPA is a terrorist organization, and decided to cut off funding to the 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-NPA-NDF, 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 Arevalo.
He said if the EU and its members cease funding to CPP-NPA front organizations, then local government units should ensure that similar groups must not get any form of support from the government as embodied in the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 211-2018, prohibiting giving of support to left-wing rebel groups.
“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,” Arevalo added.