The United States government tagged the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as one of the terrorist groups in the Philippines aside from Abu Sayyaf group and the Jemaah Islamiyah operating in the Philippines. The US list of foreign terrorist organizations was released to the media on Friday (Manila time). During the past few years, the CPP-NPA and Abu Sayyaf were constant figures in the US government lists.
According to the US Department of State’s Country Reports on Terrorism 2015, these groups are also seen to be threats to the security of US nationals, defense, foreign relations and economy. A list of 58 foreign militant organizations linked to terror activities the past year.
The US State Department revealed that the communist organization, CPP-NPA was first posted during the year 2002. CPP-NPA was seen to be behind at least four incidents that led to the deaths of Philippine security personnel the past year. The group was allegedly behind an attack on a DOLE plantation in Bukidnon in January last year, burning down the facility and chopped down more than 700 banana trees.
The US State Department reported that “Over the past few years, CPP-NPA has continued to carry out killings, raids, kidnappings, acts of extortion, and other forms of violence primarily directed against security forces,” the report stated. The group had a “long history of attacking US intersts in the Philippines,” citing four separate operations in Angeles City that killed three American soldiers.
Former Mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte already expressed during the past few days that he will revive a long-stalled peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, even offering them positions in his Cabinet. CPP-NPA leader Joma Sison also expressed his intentions to return to the Philippines right after the declaration of COMELEC that Mayor Duterte won the national elections.
Based upon the official records of the Philippine government, they estimated that the CPP-NPA membership could reach up to 4,000 members and the group is considered as Asia’s longest-running Marxist rebellion.
