THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Wednesday hailed as a “significant legal victory” the conviction of a communist rebel leader for terrorism financing.
The NTF-ELCAC said the court ruling marked the first conviction in Western Visayas and a major step in the government’s campaign against the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. viewed the court sentence on Ian Arevalo as a “strong message against terrorism and a testament to the justice system’s effectiveness.”
“This landmark conviction sends a clear and powerful message—terrorism and its financing have no place in our society. It reflects the collective resolve of the Filipino people to reject those who seek to disrupt our peace and security,” Torres said.
The Regional Trial Court in Kalibo, Aklan, convicted Arevalo after he pleaded guilty to being an accomplice in terrorism financing.
