Duterte ready to wage war with Reds, taunts Sison on health

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA — President Duterte said on Tuesday, he would wage war with the communist rebels if they wanted it as he vented his anger at them anew.

The President even taunted Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison over his health, telling him to go kill himself after Sison accused him of lying about his medical condition.  Duterte told the public on Monday, the day he delivered his second State of the Nation Address that Sison has been diagnosed with colon cancer.  Sison immediately denied it and said Duterte’s allegation was a personal attack.

Mr. Duterte became angry with the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the CPP, for attacking government troops and his security convoy despite claiming they want peace talks.  He earlier said he no longer wanted to talk with the CPP, which has been represented in the talks by its political arm, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

“You do not want to talk, you want war. I will give it to you.  I will prepare my armed forces,” Mr. Duterte said in Malacañang.

He also targeted Sison anew, after earlier saying the latter had colon cancer and that Norway, the third party facilitator in the peace talks, has been shouldering his medical expenses.  Sison has denied it.

“Have pity on the Norwegian government. Just kill yourself, son of a bitch,” he said.

He also slammed the NDFP for calling him a bully.

He recalled that he had invited their officers to the Malacañang Palace, where they shared a meal and where the President toured them around.

“Why were they not poisoned?” he jokingly asked, to the laughter of the crowd.

After starting off on a high note, the peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP have stalled anew, following the attacks by the NPA on government troops.  SFM