Palace: EU money backing CPP-NPA ‘fronts’ used to destabilize gov’t

MANILA, Philippines – The European Union (EU) should stop funding groups that are alleged fronts of the communists rebels because the money will be used to destabilize the government, Malacanañg said Friday.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement after National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. officially sent a letter to the EU asking it to stop funding alleged fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.

Esperon is also the Vice Chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

READ: Philippines officially asks EU to stop funding alleged CPP-NPA fronts

“The EU should [stop] because the funding will be used in destabilizing the government. If these are legal fronts and their main purpose is to break down the government then the EU who’s funding it should reconsider,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

In his letter to the EU, Esperon said the funds are allegedly being used “to propagate terrorism” and “to recruit and exploit vulnerable sectors such as indigenous people (IP), the systematic destruction of the latter’s culture and value system, and the murder of their leaders.”

Philippine nongovernment organizations that Esperon identified in his later as fronts of CPP-NPA were: Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural and Livelihood Development (ALCADEV), IBON Foundation, Karapatan, Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation, Inc., Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Salugpungan Ta’tanu Igkanugon Community Learning Center, Inc., Alliance of Health Workers, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Gabriela, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers. /kga