Joma: Duterte’s anti-corruption campaign a farce

Jose Maria Sison (left), founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and President Rodrigo Duterte in college. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

LUCENA CITY – With the release from prison of former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison said President Duterte’s anti-corruption campaign is a farce.

“Indeed, the Duterte promise of anti-corruption drive is false,” Sison said in a statement.

Sison said: “By undermining the corruption charges against the big shots, Duterte has been paying his political debts to the Arroyo, Marcos and Estrada dynasties for the Luzon bailiwick votes that added to his own Mindanao bailiwick vote.”

Sison said alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles is expected to follow Estrada.

“Napoles can be expected to get off the hook too because she contributed a huge amount to the campaign of Duterte,” he said.

The CPP founder said the Filipino people are “victims of one corrupt regime after another.”

After more than three years of detention, Estrada who was accused of plunder and anti-graft and corruption charges walked out of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame on Saturday after posting a P1.33-million bail at the Sandiganbayan. /je