The United States has renewed its designation of the NPA as a terrorist organization. The initial designation, in 2002, hurt the NPA considerably. The NPA, a Communist Party faction, depended on raising money overseas, and maintaining key leaders in exile. Now that they were designated terrorists, support operations were much more difficult. As a result, the NPA forces in the Philippines had to "tax" local civilians more heavily. This made local civilians more hostile to the NPA, and more willing to assist the government in hunting down NPA fighters. But the NPA continues to find support in the countryside because they oppose the corrupt and illegal practices still common in rural Philippines. Until the government does something about the corruption, the NPA will continue to have recruits.