ATC’s terrorist tagging is ‘arbitrary,’ no factual basis — NDFP consultant

(FILE) Rafael Baylosis. Contributed photo / Pinoy Weekly

MANILA, Philippines — A consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), who is also one of the individuals tagged by the Anti-Terrorist Council (ATC) as “terrorists,” denounced the designation, adding that it is “arbitrary” and is “clearly aimed at prolonging this unjust oppressive system” in the country.

“The ATC resolution or order is blatantly arbitrary, without any factual basis triable in any court of law, and seeks to red tag and criminalize certain persons including myself as part of the armed revolutionary movement,” said Rafael Baylosis in a statement on Thursday.

“…It is clearly aimed at prolonging this unjust oppressive system in our country,” he added.

He then called on democratic individuals and groups to seek for the reversal or the suspension of ATC resolution.

According to Baylosis, the latest ATC resolution disregarded an earlier Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) in 2018 that ruled that Baylosis as not one of the “terrorists” named in the first proscription suit against the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

Baylosis was then freed from detention in early 2019 based on two Quezon City RTCs’ final ruling that proved firearms and explosives were planted on him.

He said that he continued to “faithfully” attend his remaining court trials until lately in a Manila RTC hearing.

Baylosis said that he is also working for the resumption of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP, in which he is one of the consultants.

“It is very unfair, unfounded and malicious that I be included in the so-called terrorist list of the GRP ATC, together with some other fellow consultants in the peace process,” Baylosis said.

“We are supposed to be protected by the GRP-NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees or JASIG,” he added.

This came after the ATC, on two separate resolutions, identified 19 alleged leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, and another 10 alleged members of the Abu Sayyaf Group as “terrorists,” without including any actual proof.

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