Sison wants to be delisted from terror list of European Union

By Ronron
May 28, 2007

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison is seeking for a delisting from the terror list of the European Union, saying he is no longer connected with the movement, especially with its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

In a letter to the Council of the European Union dated May 22, 2007, Sison, who is on exile in the Netherlands, said it is “absurd” that he is tagged as a terrorist and “for construing that social benefits from the Dutch government for my essential human needs (living allowance, housing, health insurance, civil liability insurance and old age pension) are financing for terrorism.”

Thru his lawyer, Jan Fermon, Sison denied that he heads the CPP and is connected with the NPA, which the Philippine government has accused of engaging in terrorist activities.

“Jose Maria Sison cannot be the leader or the head of the CPP because it is materially impossible to direct a political party in his situation of exile for more than 20 years… It is of public knowledge that Jose Maria Sison lost his position as Chairman of the Central Committee of the CPP on 10 November 1977 (when he was arrested),” Fermon wrote separately.

Sison’s letter was in response to an April 23, 2007 letter of the Council, asking him to explain why his tag as terrorist in 2002 should not be renewed.

“Since the beginning, I have contested my inclusion in the list of terrorists… I am surprised why the Council writes to me a letter recycling blatantly false allegations, which have been extensively discussed and answered in the aforesaid court (European Court of First Instance),” Sison said.

The inclusion of Sison in the EU list of terrorists resulting in the freezing of his joint account with his wife and the suspension of his social living allowance and other social benefits.

Fermon said Sison could not be an advocate of violence since he even acted since 1990 as chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the negotiations with the government.

Sison was exiled to the Netherlands in 1988 when the CPP became a legal organization in the country. Authorities believe he continued to maintain leadership in the movement while away from the Philippines./END