Statement
June 22, 2022
“The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines is deeply alarmed at the terrorist listing of retired NDFP Peace Panel Chief Negotiator, Luis Jalandoni, and five others, by the Anti-Terrorism Council, the latest in the unabated terrorist-tagging by the outgoing Duterte administration,” said Mr Peter Murphy, Chairperson of the ICHRP Global Council.
“This indicates that Duterte and his team seek to cause even more harm despite their already unrivalled bloody record over the last six years. If anyone is a terrorist, it is Duterte.”
Duterte’s Anti-Terrorism Council is a non-judicial executive body of mainly military and police officers, and made the declaration on June 15 through its Resolution No. 31 that the six are members of the New People’s Army – Communist Party of the Philippines – National Democratic Front of the Philippines. [1] Such declarations are arbitrary, are outside any judicial process, and endanger the lives not only of those terror-tagged but also of their families and networks. The legal effect is to freeze any assets of those listed, and the political effect is to intimidate anyone who calls for progressive change, justice and peace.
Luis Jalandoni has worked for the NDFP in the Netherlands since 1976. “He went to the Netherlands to inform the international community about the people’s struggles against the Marcos Dictatorship and to enable meaningful negotiations through peace talks with the Philippine government on behalf of the poor Filipino people precisely to end the armed conflict,” said Murphy.
“It is absurd and outrageous that the Philippine government continues to persecute people based on their political ideas and that it has reversed President Ramos’ 1992 action to recognise the legality of the CPP. [2]
“The Duterte administration knows that communist parties elsewhere in the world are considered legal, and itself negotiates with the Chinese government led by the Communist Party of China,” said Murphy. “Jalandoni’s work with the NDFP to put forward meaningful reforms targeting the root causes of the people’s armed revolution is not in any way terrorism but rather the way to just and lasting peace.
“This absurd terrorist-tagging is a smokescreen for the final days of Duterte’s administration, marked -as he promised in 2016 – by a bloody war against the poor in the guise of a ‘war on drugs’, by political killings and political detentions, and by his capitulation to Chinese “communist” encroachment on the Philippines Exclusive Economic Zone at the cost of poor Filipino fisher folk,” said Murphy.
In stark contrast, Luis Jalandoni turned away from his wealthy family roots after being persistently confronted by the struggles of poor peasants during his work as a Catholic priest, to join the CPP and the NDFP, working for peace with justice for the people.
The incoming Marcos Jr. administration is attempting to redeem the family’s name by committing to uphold human rights at a recent meeting with a United Nations official. [3] His incoming National Security Adviser Dr. Clarita Carlos said that human security is national security, and that can be achieved by upholding people’s social, economic, cultural and political rights. She decried red tagging.
“This latest terror-tagging intimidates and the people will respond with stronger resistance, demonstrating that the Anti-Terrorism Law and the Anti-Terrorism Council are counterproductive. The only way to genuine, lasting peace is justice, and both terrorist-tagging and red-tagging executive bodies, the NTF-ELCAC and the ATL and its ATC should be abolished immediately by the incoming Marcos Jr. administration,” concluded Mr. Murphy.
[1] https://politics.com.ph/2022/06/15/verified-validated-ndf-leader-luis-jalandoni-among-6-designated-terrorists
[2] https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1992/09/02/speech-of-president-ramos-at-the-signing-of-the-bill-repealing-the-anti-subversion-law
[3] https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1176399