LGUs declare CPP, NPA, NDF persona non grata

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,546 local government units (LGUs) have passed resolutions declaring members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as persona non grata, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said 64 provinces, 110 cities and 1,372 municipalities issued the resolutions.

In Metro Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasig, San Juan, Valenzuela and Quezon City were mentioned as among the LGUs.

However, Mayor Joy Belmonte denied that Quezon City issued such a declaration.

The remaining 169 LGUs are in various stages of deliberation, the DILG chief said.

“Maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw na isinusuka na ng sambayanan ang CPP-NPA-NDF at ang mga front organizations nito,” Año said.

He said Central Luzon, Central Visayas, Zamboanga peninsula, Mimaropa and the Cordillera Administrative Region issued a 100 percent declaration that they do not welcome members of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao and Calabarzon are nearing absolute persona non grata declaration.

Año lauded the LGUs for taking a stand against communist rebels and helping the national government end insurgency in the country.

“We need to finally end this very old problem using a whole-of-nation approach. The support from our LGUs gives us great assurance that we are not alone in this war against these atheist, Maoist terrorists,” he said.