By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former communist rebel Jeffrey Celiz confirmed earlier reports that some churches and religious organizations in the country are already infiltrated by communist insurgents.

In a virtual  transparency forum on December 23 sponsored by the Janiuay Evangelical Church in Iloilo, Celiz even identified high-ranking officials of an umbrella organization of Baptist churches in the country.

Watchmen Daily Journal is temporarily withholding both the names of the individuals and the involved Baptist group whom Celiz named and alleged to be financially supporting the NPA through “development ministry.”

In the virtual forum joined by scores of government and intelligence officials and some members of the media, Celiz said that his testimonial evidence has been certified in a judicial affidavit.

“It is now with the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Anti-Money Laundering Council,” he said.

He also revealed that other than the Iloilo City-headquartered church group, other “infiltrated church groups include the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Philippine Independent Church or Aglipayan, and the Catholic Church.

Officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, and other regional and national government agencies also joined the December 23 online forum./DGB, WDJ