CPP receives a cut in infrastructure projects, says alleged former rebel Celiz

MANILA, Philippines – The Communist Party of the Philippines has been receiving cuts from infrastructure project contractors, Jeffrey Celiz, who claims to be a former communist rebel, said Tuesday in a Senate red-labeling investigation.

“If there is a bigger, mafia-style, highly organized and more prolific extortion machine that will come before the face of the earth, it is the CPP-NPA-NDF,” Celiz said, referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front.

“The government has not been able to stop that,” he added.

[Original statement in Filipino: “Hindi ‘yan napipigilan ng ating government.]

The CPP, he said, was able to obtain information on the projects – their locations, costs, and project managers – from the Department of Public Works and Highways itself.

[His statement in Filipino: “Ang source po namin niyan kung paano nalalaman ang mga projects, saan ang location, magkano ang cost, sino ang project manager: DPWH .”]

Celiz also claimed that the CPP could “make” the two largest telecommunications companies in the country pay them a total of P200 million “every year.”

He did not elaborate.

“Isn’t that a threat?” he said.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who led the hearing as chairman of the Senate defense panel, said Celiz’s claims, both about telecommunications companies and infrastructure projects, were an “open secret.”

According to Lacson, the NPA takes a 2 percent cut on infrastructure projects.

“Nothing moves, especially in its areas of influence, without the 2 percent of the contractor,” he said.

[Original statement: “Walang aandar, lalo sa mga [areas of] influence [nila], if not 2 percent of the contractor.]

“That adds to the percentage of some congressmen,” Lacson added.

Communist groups, Celiz said, were able to “bypass” the Anti-Money Laundering Council by establishing a “network of leading NGOs.”

These NGOs, he said, “channel funds” amounting to P300 million to P400 million from “partners” in European countries, such as Belgium and the Netherlands.

Lacson ordered Celiz to submit to the Senate committee lists of NGOs that allegedly acted as conduits for the CPP.

Celiz Casiño’s Tags

During the hearing, Celiz also labeled former Bayan Muna representative Teddy Casiño as part of the CPP.

Celiz said he was a communist rebel during Casiño’s time as national president of the Guild of University Publishers of the Philippines (CEGP).

“I was the regional president [of the CEGP] – although I know he is also part of the CPP ”, said Celiz.

“I’m not going to be a hypocrite,” he added, speaking in part in Filipino. “We were all CPP. They are still part of the Communist Party and, what is worse, they deny it. They are not admitting the nation, “he added.

Casiño issued a statement denying Celiz’s accusations.

“I was national president of the CEGP from 1991 to 1994 when Celiz was active in our Iloilo chapter. My God, that was 29 years ago during our student days! I don’t see how on this basis you can drag my name into your web of lies, ”said Casiño.

“Celiz does not present any proof or evidence of the accusations he makes against me, apart from the belief of him and his military handlers that, as I am a prominent activist, I must also be a high ranking leader of the CPP-NPA- NDF, “he added.

Included in 2016 ‘narco-list’

Senators also questioned Celiz about his inclusion in President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called narcolist in 2016.

On that list, Celiz was identified on the list as a member of the House of Representatives, which he never was, according to various reports that came out earlier.

“They included me on that list because it was part of the government’s project to go out and dismantle the drug unions in the city of Iloilo,” Celiz told the senators. “I used that cover because I work in many cases in covert operations.”

RELATED STORIES

From ‘maginoo’ to ‘mandurugas’: how contractors describe officials asking for bribes

Duterte’s drug war generates mixed reactions, mainly shock

[atm]

Read next