The legal counsel of Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo has called for the withdrawal of the petition seeking to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as terrorist groups.
“The policy of linking our clients, activists, and critics of the government to the CPP-NPA and tagging them as “terrorists” must stop. In the absence of any evidence against them, the DOJ should just withdraw the petition for proscription,” Rachel Pastores, legal counsel of Ocampo and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Rafael Baylosis, said in a statement on Wednesday.
In a 14-page resolution, the Manila RTC recently proclaimed Ocampo, Baylosis, United Nations special rapporteur Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, and former Baguio City councilor Jose Melencio Molintas as “non-parties” in the terrorist proscription case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ),
READ: Satur Ocampo, UN Rapporteur declared as ‘non-parties’ in CPP-NPA case
Pastores lamented that her clients’ (Ocampo and Baylosis) mere inclusion in the petition has “already put their lives and security at risk.”
“Their public vilification through the filing of the case has also cast aspersion upon their characters and besmirched their reputations,” the lawyer said.
In its 55-page petition, the DOJ asked the Manila RTC to issue an order declaring the CPP and the NPA as terrorist and outlawed organizations, pursuant to Section 17 of RA 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007.
It has also submitted to the court a list of over 600 personalities, including CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, peace negotiator Luis Jalandoni, Ocampo, and Tauli-Corpuz, as part of their petition to declare the CPP and the NPA as terrorist organizations.
READ: Gov’t seeks terrorist tag for 600
Pastores said the Manila RTC ruling is “proof that the case, where allegations have been recycled countless times, reeks with ill motive and red-tagging.”
“As recently admitted by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, the inclusion of hundreds of individuals and aliases sought to be declared “terrorists” was not verified and merely fed by the AFP, PNP, and NICA. The Department of Justice (DOJ) should have been prudent not to just swallow hook, line and sinker all information supplied by these intelligence agencies,” she added.
The DOJ’s plea was filed after the termination of the peace talks between the government and the CPP late last year. /ee