Duterte vows to crush NPA, CPP and ‘legal fronts’
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday vowed to “crush and destroy” communist rebels and their “legal fronts,” saying the government’s peace talks with the group In a news conference upon his arrival in Davao City from a visit to India,
Duterte hit the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), for allegedly collecting so-called revolutionary taxes from businesses. “Itong NPA, totodasin ko talaga sila.
Tatapusin ko (This NPA, I’ll crush them). The talks are over. No more talks,” the President told reporters.
“The order is to crush, synonym of that is destroy and a collateral of that sentence is you destroy, and if you have to kill, do it,” he added.
Duterte said he would also run after the “legal fronts” of the NPA that collect taxes from businesses, and promised to give its “Prank ah ant a yo. Nag bi bi gay kayo. Pero‘ pag nahuli ko kayo( Let’ s be frank. You give in to their extortion. But if I catch you), I will give you hell of a time,” he said .“Kay on ag bi big ayn gm ala ki( You give huge amounts). I’ll just cancel your permit. I’ll tell [Environment] Secretary [Roy] Cimatu to cancel it. You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country.”
“So huwag ta yong mag bola han( let’s not beat around the bush), so I’m waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. `Paglumabas` yan ( Once that comes out) as terrorist, which you are, really are, imposing taxes here and there. Ma bu tip aka yo, mas mar am ian gk it a (You’re better off because you’re earning more),” he added.
Duterte last month said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd, the chief government negotiator, could “always resuscitate it (peace talks) at some other time.”
Duterte has signed a proclamation declaring the CPP- NPA a terrorist organization due to its “violent acts... which sow and create a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ), however, still has to obtain court approval in
declaring the CPP-NPA as terrorists in accordance with Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act, which lays down acts that
The DoJ said early the petition.
The President suspended peace talks with the communist rebels following the deadly attacks on government troops.
Before Duterte terminated talks with the communists, the long- stalled fifth round of peace negotiations was scheduled for November 25 to 27, 2017 in Norway. in January that it was preparing