THE Armed Forces yesterday said it is pleased with the decision of the European Union and Belgium to look into funds they have been providing to the “Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP)” which is said to be a front organization of the communist movement.
Brig. Gen. Antonio Parlade, AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations, said the military has proof that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), are hiding behind the RMP to get funds from abroad.“We appreciate the positive response of EU and Belgium to our formal plea to stop funding to Rural Missionaries (of the Philippines) which is directly assisting the NPAs in Mindanao,” said Parlade.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said EU and Belgium did not just commit to look into the funding but also to enlist a third party firm to audit the funds they have donated to the supposed communist front organization.
“It shows that they desire to ensure that their support does not end up with organizations that actually or indirectly support terrorist activities,” said Arevalo.
“Soon the flow of funds to organizations like Ibon Foundation, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines, Anakbayan, and other front organizations will stop. It will also halt the many years spent and millions of pesos funneled to support the terrorist movement,” he added.
The Duterte administration, through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, last week formally asked the EU to stop giving funds to the communists who are said to be using the funds to recruit and exploit children.
Parlade said the RMP has partnered with the Ibon Foundation in the publication of “subversive books” which are used by children in schools put up in indigenous peoples (IP) communities.
He said these schools “are teaching IP children to become child warriors,” said Parlade.
“These missionaries cannot continue to hide under the cloak of the church, of whatever faith, and then provide funds to terrorists NPAs, and other CPP front organizations like Karapatan, Gabriela, ACT (Association of Concerned Teachers), KMU (Kilusang Mayo Uno), Anakbayan, LFS (League of Filipino Students), Bayan or what they call the Makabayan bloc,” said Parlade.
Parlade alleged that RMP has been providing support to the families of CPP and NPA cadres and fighters “and they cannot deny this.”
“Those who will say this is a lie should be ready to refute this in a public debate. We are armed with the truth and nothing else,” said Parlade, who called the RMP a front organization of the CPP-NPA.
Parlade said the military is convinced that CPP front organizations are exploiting IPs, projecting a sorry human rights situation in the country, and vilifying the government to cast doubt on its efficiency.
He implied the CPP has been killing IPs and blaming the government for the deaths, and will then ask support from human rights groups.
https://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/military-we%E2%80%99ve-got-proof-funds-going-leftist-group
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.