MANILA --- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) supports efforts to punish politicians and candidates found giving aid to communist terrorist groups who extort money and demand permit-to-campaign from them, an official said Friday.
"The AFP will always support the efforts of the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) in sanctioning the erring candidates and politicians who violate these specific instructions and the laws pertaining to giving aid and comfort to the enemy of the state," AFP Public Affairs Office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato said Friday.
"We will monitor and gather information and report same to the DILG. Our field units are given specific tasks to carry this out while performing security and combat operations against the armed group of the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front)," he added in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States government and European Union.
Last Thursday, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año revealed that 349 local and national government officials are supporting the communist rebels by giving in to the extortion demands and permit-to-campaign rackets of the NPA.
"We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause," he said. (PNA)
