NTF-ELCAC welcomes reported FBI scrutiny of US activists
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Thursday, 5 November, welcomed reports of possible FBI inquiries into American citizens and organizations suspected of supporting the communist insurgency in the Philippines.
The statement followed allegations by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) that relatives of detained Filipino-American activist Christina Pasion had been contacted repeatedly by FBI personnel and the US Embassy in Manila.
Pasion's brother, Gabe, said during a news conference in Baltimore that federal agents had contacted his family and visited their home and workplaces. Activist groups described the reported actions as harassment.
NTF-ELCAC spokesperson Liza Fidelis Cañada said American authorities should investigate possible recruitment, financing and logistical support networks linked to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
“This should come as no surprise to communist front organizations in the United States. When American citizens become involved with a foreign terrorist organization like the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), they should expect scrutiny from federal authorities,” Cañada said.
The CPP-NPA has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States since 9 August 2002. US law prohibits knowingly providing material support to designated terrorist organizations.
Cañada cited the detention of Pasion in Laguna in July and the deaths of Americans Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem during an armed encounter in Negros Occidental in April as reasons to examine possible cross-border recruitment networks.
Philippine authorities have alleged that Pasion had links to communist insurgents. Human rights organizations have disputed the allegations and called for her release.
“The allegations reported by the NDFP reinforce the need to investigate whether organizations operating under the banner of human rights and social justice are being exploited as recruitment and support networks for the CPP-NPA,” Cañada said.
She added that the Philippine government was prepared to cooperate with American authorities and share relevant intelligence.
The reported FBI contacts have not been independently confirmed as part of a formal criminal investigation. Political advocacy and peaceful activism are not, by themselves, evidence of unlawful material support for a terrorist organization.