DILG calls on more LGUs to declare Reds as ‘persona non grata’

“Declaring CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata is a bold move from these LGUs and we commend them for their support to President Duterte and the national government’s efforts to rid our country of these communist-terrorist groups,” Año said in a statement. (File Photo By Joey Razon/Wikimedia commons, Public Domain)

MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) called on other local government units to declare members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as “persona non grata”.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the LGUs’ declaration of the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata is a significant victory, noting that the agency is optimistic that more LGUs will follow suit in compliance with the government’s drive to extinguish communist insurgency and the groups that work behind it.

“Declaring CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata is a bold move from these LGUs and we commend them for their support to President Duterte and the national government’s efforts to rid our country of these communist-terrorist groups,” Año said in a statement.

The Interior Secretary said that this is timely especially during the midterm elections as it will prevent the NPA from intimidating voters in these areas to vote for their preferred candidates.

Año explains that this declaration is a big step towards the whole-of-nation-approach the government is spearheading to “once and for all end the decades-long insurgency in the Philippines.

“The government cannot do this alone.

The LGUs declaring the CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata is an assurance that we have allies in this war against insurgency,” he said.

He said that as persona non grata in various LGUs, the CPP-NPA-NDF’s chances of recruiting new members, and acquiring strength and financial leverage get slimmer giving the government and its forces an advantage.

“The recruitment style of the CPP-NPA-NDF revolves around the poorest communities of the country which they can easily lure for their cause. If LGUs declare them as persona non grata, they cannot continue growing their numbers and territory making it easy for the long arm of the law to corner them,” Año explained.

“The LGUs are fed up with the CPP-NPA-NDF threatening their people’s lives, properties and future. Unless we want these terrorist groups to persist, we cannot be afraid forever, at some point, we need to come together to achieve lasting peace. This is the time for us to stand up for a future that is peaceful and progressive. Join us in our war for lasting peace and in ending insurgency,” he added.

Año’s call came after more than 10 LGUs have already declared the communist terrorists in support of the government’s efforts to end insurgency in the country.

Among the LGUs which declared CPP-NPA-NDF as persona non grata are the Province of Davao Oriental after passing the Provincial Peace and Order Council resolution signed by Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang; villages in Surigao Del Norte; Compostela Valley as pronounced by Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy; tribes in North Cotabato; 21 barangays in Malaybalay, Bukidnon; and Municipality of Sibagat, Agusan Del Sur as stated by Mayor Maria Liza L. Evangelista.

The CPP-NPA-NDF is also not welcome in the town of Jose Abad Santos under Mayor Jason John A. Joyce in Davao Occidental for their “continued acts of violence, terrorism, violent extremism and other forms of lawlessness, oppression, and harassment of the communist insurgents to the people”.

Barangays in Bukidnon, Negros Oriental and Occidental, with two LGUs from Central Luzon namely Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan under Mayor Ronaldo T.

Flores, and Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija under Mayor Mary B. Abad, among others, likewise followed, recently.