The Philippine government has scaled up its war against terrorists with a new strategy aimed at the pockets of the terrorist organizations and their operatives.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Sunday that bank deposits and other assets of the terrorist Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, New People’s Army (NPA), have been put on freeze by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC),
The CPP and the its armed wing, the NPA, have been designated recently as terrorist organizations by the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), the body given such power under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
The AMLC approved its freeze order against the CPP and the NPA and other designated terrorist groups lastDecember 23 after the ATC formally designated the organizations as terrorist groups.
AMLC Executive Director Mel Racela explained how far the freeze could go: “There are no accounts under the name of CPP/NPA, but the FO (freeze order) covers the related accounts (RA) of said organization. RA means all accounts opened and maintained for the benefit of said organization, the identification of which the banks and other covered persons will play a very important role.”
“The freeze order is intended to preemptively deprive designated terror organizations of resources to prevent possible terror attacks,” Racela said.
The CPP/NPA combine has already been declared as terrorists by foreign governments.
On Aug. 9, 2002, the United States government designated the CPP-NPA as foreign terrorist organization and to date continues to include the group in its list.
Similar designation was made by the European Union on Oct. 28,2002 and reaffirmed on Jan. 13, 2020. Australia also placed the CPP-NPA in its list of terror group on Oct. 28,2002 and was relisted in November 2013.
The United Kingdom similarly placed the group on its list on Aug. 14, 2002 and reaffirmed it on July 7, 2020 along with New Zealand which placed it on a similar list in October 2010 and renewed its listing in September 2019. (with PNA report)
Categories: BANGSAMORO, NEW PEOPLES ARMY, terrorism philippines
