CPP/NDF-Negros Island: NDF Negros denounces terrorist-listing, warns of attacks against legitimate dissent

Propaganda statement posted to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website (Jul 23, 2021): NDF Negros denounces terrorist-listing, warns of attacks against legitimate dissent

BAYANI OBRERO

SPOKESPERSON

NDF-NEGROS ISLAND

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE PHILIPPINES

JULY 23, 2021

The National Democratic Front – Negros (NDF-Negros) in a statement strongly denounced the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) for designating the NDFP as a “terrorist” organization saying that the ATC’s resolution is closing all doors to just and lasting peace and the resolution of the roots of armed conflict.

“By designating the NDFP as a ‘terrorist’ organization, Duterte and his armed minions are clearly hell-bent on killing the peace negotiations and are focused, instead, on pursuing a brutal all-out war through the regime’s ‘counter-insurgency’ campaign,” said Ka Bayani Obrero, spokesperson of NDF-Negros.

Obrero also said that ATC Resolution No. 21 dated June 23 alongside other previous issuances such as Proclamation No. 370, Proclamation No. 374, Executive Order No. 70, Memorandum Order 32 and the so-called Anti-Terror Law of 2020 only demonstrates the cowardice and war-mongering character of Duterte and his fascist gang.

“The ATC designation of the NDFP is part of Duterte’s fascist scheme of unleashing state terror, violence, and repression to sweep all forms of opposition under his tyrannical reign. It will allow Duterte to control and rig the upcoming presidential elections, perpetuate his power beyond 2022 and prevent his arrest for crimes against humanity,” Obrero added.

NDF-Negros stated as well that the terrorist-listing further deteriorates the human rights situation in the country especially in Negros Island and will target legal patriotic and democratic activists, human rights defenders, critics and oppositionists who will be arbitrarily tagged as NDFP members and associates.

Negros Island has suffered from numerous cases of extrajudicial killings, and arbitrary arrests and detention of activists, critics and ordinary civilians perpetuated by state forces. With ATC resolution no. 21, terroristic fascist attacks against legitimate dissent by the Duterte regime is expected to escalate.

In addition, he said that clamors to free all political prisoners will resound all over the country in light of the dismissal of charges against two Aetas Jasper Gurong and Junior Ramos due to insufficiency of evidence. Both have been falsely charged and jailed using the dubious Terror Law. Obrero cited the arrest of Fr. Frank Fernandez with his wife and fellow NDF consultant Cleofe Lagtapon and of others who have been arrested and imprisoned based on so-called trumped up charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

“We call on all Negrosanons and the Filipino people to solidify their ranks and collectively wage all forms of revolutionary struggle, especially armed struggle, in order to defend national sovereignty, their democratic rights and well-being against Duterte’s regime of treason, tyranny, mass murder, plunder and mass deception,” Obrero concluded.###

https://cpp.ph/statements/ndf-negros-denounces-terrorist-listing-warns-of-attacks-against-legitimate-dissent/