CPP denies NPA involvement in harassing CHR in Mindanao

The Commission on Human Rights office in Quezon City. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — The New People’s Army (NPA) was not involved in an alleged series of harassment incidents at two regional offices of the Commission of Human Rights, the Communist Party of the Philippines said on Wednesday through its chief information officer, Marco Valbuena.

“We assure the CHR that the NPA is not involved in any threats or extortion attempts against their regional offices. This is either plain extortion or the handiwork of people who wish to defame the NPA and portray it as involved in gross criminal activities,” Valbuena said.

Valbuena also pointed out that both the CPP and NPA strictly abide by international humanitarian law and consider the CHR as a civilian agency and not a target of military action.

“This is despite the fact that the CHR is an adjunct of the reactionary government and typically downplays human rights abuses of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police, especially in counterinsurgency operations,” Valbuena said.

He added that the CPP had also received similar reports from different individuals and areas regarding such actions.

“The CHR can easily get in touch with the CPP ([email protected]) or through its local representatives to seek verification of these reports,” Valbuena said.

The CHR earlier claimed that two callers who identified themselves as alleged members of communist rebel group NPA tried to extort money and threaten two CHR offices in Mindanao.

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