The petition seeking to declare as terrorists more than 600 individuals linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, was a product of research and evidence from police authorities and intelligence agencies, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Monday.
Aguirre also confirmed for the first time that CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and UN special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz are in the list of personalities the government tagged as terrorists in a petition filed before the Manila regional trial court last month.
Also included in the list were alleged CPP leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, National Democratic Front of the Philippines consultant Rafael Baylosis, former peace panel chief Luis Jalandoni, human rights lawyer and former Baguio City councilor Jose Molintas and Cordillerans Joanna Carino, Windel Farag-ey Bolinget, Sherwin de Vera, Beverly Sakongan Longid and Jeannette Ribaya Cawiding.
According to Aguirre, the list was not “baseless and irresponsible” as claimed by Corpuz and he dared critics to challenge the DoJ’s move before the court.
“This list is a product of research and evidence supplied by police authorities and intelligence agencies,” he said in an interview.
“If they have evidence to the contrary, they should just answer the petition and the court will hear them. This case should not be tried through the media,” Aguirre added.
Aguirre explained that the petition was filed following the termination of the peace talks between the government and the CPP.
Corpuz, a former chairman of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, was named UN special rapporteur in 2014. She decried her inclusion in the list as “baseless, malicious and irresponsible.”
She founded the indigenous people’s advocacy and research group, Tebtebba Inc., and helped draft the Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2007.
Ocampo, on the other hand, is facing murder charges in the Manila RTC for his alleged involvement in the murder of suspected military spies in the communist movement in the 1980s.
Baylosis was ordered arrested last January over charges of illegal possession of firearms.
In its petition, the DoJ cited Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act of 2007 in seeking the declaration of the CPP and NPA officials and members as terrorists.
The petition, signed by Senior Associate State Prosecutor Peter Ong, accused the CPP-NPA of having an “evil plan of imposing a totalitarian regime.”
“The CPP and NPA are merely buying time by deceiving the Philippine government in entering into peace talks, while their main purpose is to mobilize all their forces in preparation for the people’s war aimed at overthrowing the duly constituted authority, seizing control of the Philippine government and imposing a totalitarian regime,” the DOJ said in its petition.