Tag Joma, UN special rapporteur, etc. as ‘terrorists,’ gov’t impels Manila court

The Department of Justice (DOJ) wants to formally identify as “terrorists” leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA), as well as dozens of activists and a United Nations (UN) special rapporteur, lumping them as communist rebels.

INQUIRER.net obtained a copy of the list of more than 600 individuals that the government sought to declare as terrorists through a petition the DOJ filed before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 last February 21.

Those in the list included CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, alleged ranking CPP leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, and National Democratic Front (NDF) peace negotiators Luis Jalandoni, Coni Ledesma, Randall Echanis, and Rafael Baylosis, who is currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Also in the list were former Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, Catholic priest Frank Fernandez, Ilocos environmental activist Sherwin de Vera, and UN special rapporteur for the rights of indigenous people Victoria Tauli-Corpuz.

The DOJ labelled Tauli-Corpuz as a member of the CPP’s Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC).

INQUIRER.net is trying to get the side of those in the list as of posting.

The petition stemmed from President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation No. 374, declaring the CPP and NPA as terrorist organizations, and anyone proven to be financing these groups would be held liable under the law.

Proclamation No. 374 came a week after Mr. Duterte issued Proclamation No. 360, which cancelled government’s peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA and its political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF).     /kga

READ: Human rights group slams DOJ’s ‘severely defective’ list of ‘terrorists’