(Eagle News) — The Department of the Interior of Local Government (DILG) said it would be filing charges against local government officials and canditates who would be proven to have given financial support to the New People’s Army (NPA)
DILG Spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said that they will validate the reports and file the charges after the May 13 elections.
“Siguro ang gagawin namin after the elections, once we validated these reports and we have enough evidence, we will give figures but for this, hindi pa, we’re in the middle of election period pa,” he said.
He said that the DILG, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), would continue to monitor all candidates until the end of the election period.
“The AFP and PNP are now closely monitoring them and they will be held liable even after the election if we are able to gather evidence that they aiding, financing, supporting or conniving with these communist terrorist groups and their allies who are out to trample our democracy and oust our duly constituted authorities,” Malaya said.
PNP Spokesperson Colonel Bernard Banac said candidates who donated to communist rebels would face criminal liability for violation of Republic Act 10168 or The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
Aside from the crime of financing of terrorism, he said the act of giving any amount or item of value to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) is tantamount to disloyalty punishable under the Revised Penal Code.
Malaya repeated the warning to all local candidates and officials, saying they should not to fall prey to the modus operandi of the CPP-NPA-NDF and their front organizations.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization through the issuance of Proclamation No. 374 on December 5, 2017.
“There is no need to conspire with communist terrorist groups to clinch a victory in the polls. Being matino, mahusay at maasahan is more than enough to ensure your victory in the coming elections,” Malaya said.
He also advised candidates to immediately report to the authorities the extortion activities of the NPA.
