Gov t designates Joma Sison, 18 other CPP officials as terrorists
Published May 13, 2021 8:44am
Updated May 13, 2021 9:15am The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has designated 19 alleged ranking members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), including its founder Jose Maria Sison, as terrorists. The designation of the 19 individuals, contained in the council s Resolution Number 17 (2021) dated April 21, 2021, authorizes the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze their assets. Aside from Sison, also included in the list are Vicente Ladlad, Jorge Madlos, Adelberto Silva, Rey Casambre, Rafael Baylosis, and Wilma and Benito Tiamzon. The 19 are all members of the CPP s Central Committee. The Central Committee is the highest decision- and policy-making body of the CPP and also leads and commands the NPA, its main weapon in attaining the Party s goal of overthrowing the duly elected government by seizing and consolidating political power through violent means,
MANILA Bagong Alyansang Makabayan described the Anti-Terror Council’s designation of terrorists as “arbitrary, no clear standards, no specific terrorist acts cited, just a sweeping accusation.”
The Anti-Terrorism Council released names of 19 ‘designated terrorists,’ today, May 13. A day before, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., also vice chairperson of the ATC, announced the release of names during the oral arguments before the Supreme Court.
“It is no different from red-tagging that violates the rights of those designated. It is clear that the Anti-Terror Law is easily abused as seen from this kind of designation,” Reyes added.
Under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Council may order for the designation of an individual or organization as a terrorist. The Office of the Solicitor General, during the SC oral arguments before the Supreme Court, argued that designation will only lead to freezing of bank assets and not arrests.
May 13, 2021
The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has listed Joma Sison and other 18 alleged ranking members of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as terrorists.
The designation of the alleged 19 terrorists, listed in the council’s Resolution Number 17 (2021) dated April 21, 2021, authorizes the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to freeze their assets.
Aside from Joma Sison, also included designated as terrorists are his wife Julieta, Vicente Ladlad, Jorge Madlos, Adelberto Silva, Rey Casambre, Rafael Baylosis, and Wilma and Benito Tiamzon. They are all members of the CPP’s Central Committee.
“The Central Committee is the highest decision- and policy-making body of the CPP and also leads and commands the NPA, its main weapon in attaining the Party’s goal of overthrowing the duly elected government by seizing and consolidating political power through violent means,” the ATC said in a press release published in a local broadsheet.