‘Fil-Americans’ warned versus CPP-NPA activities in US soil

On Jul 6, 2021

Members of ‘FACT’ (Filipinos Against Crime and Terrorism) staged a protest rally in front of the Philippine Consulate in New York, USA, July 4, 2021, to warn against the growing presence and criminal activities of the CPP-NPA in the US mainland that include fund raising and recruitment of fighters to violently bring down the Philippine government and establish a communist order. FACT is a newly formed group of Filipinos and Fil-Americans who have express concern over what it said was the “expanding” CPP-NPA presence in the US (photo credit: NTF-ELCAC).

FILIPINOS in the United States are being warned against ongoing efforts by the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to raise funds and recruit members to support its goal of a communist takeover back home.

The warning was issued on Sunday afternoon July 4, 2021 (Monday morning, July 5, 2021 in Manila) during a protest outside the Philippine Consulate General by the ‘Filipino-Americans Against Crime and Terrorism’ (FACT).

FACT is a newly formed group of Filipinos and Fil-Americans who have express concern over what it said was the “expanding” CPP-NPA presence in the US.

“We are here this afternoon to voice our concern over the growing presence of the CPP-NPA in the US through its cadres who are slowly penetrating the Filipino-American community to raise funds and recruit supporters for their terrorist activities in the Philippines,” FACT said in a manifesto circulated during the hour-long protest.

FACT noted that the CPP-NPA had long been designated a terrorist organization by the United States but is able to operate there through so-called front organizations that are being used to undermine the Philippine government and generate funds through donations from unsuspecting individuals and organizations.

“These front organizations are involved in organizing the youth, migrant workers, and women and use such issues as human rights, corruption, human trafficking with the aim of generating support for their ultimate objective of a violent communist takeover of the Philippine government,” the group said.

Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez, as appearing in social media. Known as ‘Ka Allen,’ Rodriguez, whose mother was a Filipina, was living in the United States with his family when he fell prey to the deceptive recruitment of the CPP-NPA and at age 20, went to the Philippines to join the NPA. He died from COVID-19 last August 4, 2020 at the age of 22.

Already, one Fil-Am, Amado Khaya Canham Rodriguez, had fallen prey to the deceptive recruitment of the terrorist group in the US. Although of South African descent, Rodriguez, also known as ‘Ka Allen’ and whose mother was a Filipina, ended up being recruited to the CPP-NPA while living in the United States.

Rodriguez subsequently went to the Philippines at age 20 and became an “instructor” of the NPA operating in Southern Tagalog. He died from the COVID-19 in Mindoro Island last August 4, 2020. He was only 22 years old.

“The Filipino-American community must be warned of these individuals and organizations that support terrorism in the Philippines,” FACT said further.

“They should not lend their support nor donate funds to these individuals and organizations.”

FACT said it is not against the right of Filipinos in the US to express their grievances against the government in the Philippines, saying freedom of speech is a constitutionally guaranteed right.

“What we are against is the abuse of such freedom to mislead people into believing their propaganda and eliciting their support towards their so-called ‘armed struggle’ that has killed thousands in the Philippines, including Americans, in the past 50 years,” the group said.

“We call on the Philippine Embassy and all Philippine Consulates in the United States to take more active measures to inform the Filipino-American community of the terrorist acts committed by the CPP-NPA in the Philippines and its activities in the US so that we all could be forewarned,” the group added.