EU vows ‘full legal action’ vs. NGOs funding CPP fronts

From PTV News (Mar 15, 2019): EU vows ‘full legal action’ vs. NGOs funding CPP fronts

The European Union (EU) on Friday vowed to take full legal action upon verification of European groups funneling funds to non-government organizations fronting for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“The EU stands ready to receive precise information that would enable it to further evaluate and verify the allegations. Should the allegations be established, the EU will immediately take full legal action,” the EU delegation in Manila said in a statement sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The delegation said the bloc continues to consider both the CPP and NPA as terrorist groups since 2006, which means “that no assets can be held in EU by these organizations.”

As early as January 2019, the EU has conducted an audit of the funds that allegedly reached the communist groups when the Philippine government gave the bloc a notice.

Following its audit, the EU confirmed it received a Philippine delegation in February “to better understand the precise content on the allegations.”

The allegations are yet to be verified but the EU delegation vowed to respond immediately upon confirmation.

The statement also came after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called out before the United Nations on Thursday some NGOs for funding the communist insurgency in the Philippines.

“EU funding continues for the widely detested, nowhere supported, and foredoomed communist insurgency composed of the last dregs of the New Khmer Rouge, as US intelligence branded them in the late 80s,” Locsin said during the Ministerial Segment of the 62nd Session of the Commission on Narcotics and Drugs in Vienna, Austria.

Locsin said the insurgency being waged by the CPP-NPA continues to threaten Philippine society and national security.

https://www.ptvnews.ph/eu-vows-full-legal-action-vs-ngos-funding-cpp-fronts/