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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines: Commies, NPA not terrorist groups... |
| 2002-08-11 |
| MALACAÃANG is reluctant to accept the United Statesâ line that Philippine communists are terrorists, saying the matter still has to be taken up by senior government officials. They may well be right. There's a difference between subversion and terrorism... Last Saturday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New Peopleâs Army (NPA), have been listed as foreign terrorist organizations. Powell urged financial insÂtitutions to block the assets of the groups. The NPA would seem to stand a much better chance of making the cut than the "legit" party. It's that "armed struggle" thing, y'know... But yesterday, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said top government officials have yet to discuss the terrorist tag on the CPP and the NPA. Besides, Bunye said, the government has yet to receive the official document from the US. Once the document arrives, Bunye said Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and National Security Adviser Roilo Golez and other officials concerned would meet to come up with an official position. Right now, the CPP-NPA could not be regarded as criminals or revolutionary groups, Bunye said. The communists have become a legitimate group folloÂwing the repeal of the Anti-Subversion Law, he said. Bunye also said the Philippines does not even have an Anti-Terrorism Law, âso we donât have a clear definition of what a terrorist organization is.â Why not start with Abu Sayyaf and work out from there? Carries guns? Check. Kills people? Check. Robs banks? Check. Gets its funding from outside the country? Check. To me, the NPA makes the cut and the Party doesn't. So have the Party shut down the NPA, and offer to help. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |