July 7, 2003, The Philippine Star, Philippines: Communist rebel spokesman denies drug trade accusation, by Mayen Jaymalin,

July 7, 2003, The Philippine Star, Philippines: Communist rebel spokesman denies drug trade accusation, by Mayen Jaymalin, 

The government may temporarily shelve the scheduled peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) until the rebel group is cleared of any links with drug syndicates, government peace negotiator Silvestre Bello III said yesterday. Bello said the alleged involvement of the CPP's military arm, the New People's Army (NPA), in the drug trade is a serious issue that should be resolved before the peace talks are resumed.

"When the NPA was declared a terrorist group, the government was still open to peace negotiations. But this new development linking (the NPA) to drug syndicates needs to be studied seriously," Bello said.

Bello said he had submitted to President Arroyo his report regarding the scheduled peace talks with the CPP-NPA, and was awaiting further instructions.

Representatives of the rebel group from the National Democratic Front (NDF) and the government peace panel were supposed to resume peace negotiations at the end of the month.

The president said Saturday that the NPA was cultivating marijuana as a cash crop to finance the rebellion. She said authorities have found marijuana plantations in areas controlled by the NPA. Mrs Arroyo said the communist guerrillas were resorting to the lucrative drug trade to raise funds after the United States and the European Union included the CPP-NPA in the list of international terrorist organizations, effectively freezing their financial assets and plugging the flow of funds.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye maintained yesterday that Mrs Arroyo has sufficient evidence to prove the communist rebels' links to drug syndicates.

"I believe that the president has credible information on the involvement of the NPA in illegal drugs and the rebels will not be spared in the government's anti-drug campaign," he said.

Bunye admitted that the disclosure on the NPA's involvement in the drug trade could adversely affect the peace negotiations.

"We are not closing the door to possible peace negotiations but there should be conducive atmosphere. We must see that they are complying with the law," Bunye said. "The government peace panel will have to weigh this (resumption of peace talks) against the declaration of the President," he added.

Communist rebels, on the other hand, turned the tables on the government by claiming top military and police officials are behind the illegal drug trade in the country.

CPP-NPA spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal also condemned Malacanang [presidential palace] for "blocking efforts" by some personalities and interest groups to revive the peace talks.

"(Mrs.) Arroyo is talking a lot about peace talks but doing everything to hinder it," Rosal said. "Peace talks cannot be resumed as long as the NDF negotiators are under duress as a result of the terrorist listing by the US and some European countries. If Malacanang really wants to talk, it can undo its earlier campaign to have the CPP, NPA and (CPP founder) Jose Ma. Sison categorized as terrorists," Rosal added.

In a statement, Rosal denied the NPA is involved in the illegal drug trade by maintaining marijuana plantations in its "guerrilla zones." Rosal said Mrs Arroyo was "totally dishonest" in her claims that the rebels are resorting to planting marijuana to finance the rebellion.

"She hypocritically hides the fact it is her own AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines], PNP [Philippine National Police] and civilian bureaucracy, from top to bottom, that are the ones steeply engaged in and behind the illegal drug business," Rosal said in a statement. He said the NPA has been on a "persistent and effective campaign to eradicate the illegal drug problem."

In cases where the rebels encounter farmers planting marijuana, Rosal said the rebels are exerting all efforts to convince the farmers to shift to another crop. While admitting that there were some marijuana plantations in some remote areas, Rosal said they are not yet in the "effective jurisdiction" of the NPA. And if ever marijuana plantations continue to thrive in remote upland areas where the NPA operates, Rosal claimed that this is because these are being maintained by "the AFP, PNP and government officials who are in collusion with big drug syndicates." Rosal insisted the drug problem has been totally eradicated in NPA-controlled areas.

"The young people in the guerrilla zones are inspired to undertake worthy endeavours in the interest of the masses, effectively leading them away from drugs and other influences of the prevailing decadent culture nurtured by the military and politicians," Rosal said.

Rosal also denied claims by the military that 15 of their comrades were killed in an encounter in Sasmuan, Pampanga last Saturday. He said it was "a monstrous lie" on the part of the military to come up with the figure since there were no casualties on the rebel side. He said they still have to verify initial reports that at least two soldiers were killed in that encounter.