NPA in Quezon downplays ‘persona non grata’ tag

LUCENA CITY – Communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels operating in Quezon province have dismissed as pure nonsense the “persona non grata” (unwelcome or unacceptable) tag imposed against them.

Ka Cleo del Mundo, spokesperson of the NPA-Apolonio Mendoza Command in Quezon province, said the resolution approved by the provincial government declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the NPA rebels has no legal value.

“Because the CPP-NPA don’t have any dealings with any local government units in the province and all national government agencies in Duterte government,” Del Mundo said in a statement that she posted on her Facebook on Friday.

Del Mundo said the “persona non grata” resolution only aims to cover the failure of the government counter-insurgency program particularly its local, regional national task forces to end the armed conflict.

She said the blind obedience of local officials to adopt the “ready-made resolution” from the military will not solve anything.

Last week, the Quezon provincial government declared the CPP-NPA as “persona non grata” in the province, once considered as a stronghold of Maoist-inspired guerrillas in Southern Tagalog.

The declaration was part of the renewed campaign by government forces to crush the communist insurgents before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term in 2022. /jpv