DOJ files in court 'terrorism financing' charges vs 2 suspected CPP-NPA members
Two suspected members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) have been charged with terrorism financing before the Batangas City regional trial court (RTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Wednesday, March 27.
Charged were Leonor Taguinod Dumlao and Valentin Cruz Tolentino. They were held liable for violation of Section 8 of Republic Act (RA) No. 10168, the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 (TFPSA).
In a statement, the DOJ said the charges were filed after conducting a preliminary investigation on the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
“After receiving reports stating that the two accused possessed firearms and ammunition with no definite source of income or apparent purpose, police authorities initiated background checks and collaborated with intelligence counterparts from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) to ask the court’s issuance of search warrants against the two individuals,” the DOJ said.
“Consequently, authorities discovered firearms, ammunition, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), IED components, and a significant sum of money in various denominations,” it also said.
It noted that during the investigation, it was found that “Dumlao and Tolentino are members of the National Finance Commission (NFC) of the CPP/NPA which had direct involvement in demanding money from construction firms, telecommunication companies, bus companies, mining companies and businessmen in guised as ‘revolutionary taxes’."
“It was also discovered that the respondents were responsible for the creation of the National Economic Striking Force (NESF) of the CPP/NPA which serves as security of the ‘Rebolusyonaryong Buwis sa Kaaway na Uri’ or the RBKU,” it added.
“We will never let even an inch of terrorism’s tyranny sow fear among our citizens, much more let the cowards behind this menace run free,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said.
“This is a time when we Filipinos should fortify our resolve and show our resilience in fighting this evil,” he added.