President Rodrigo Duterte. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
Once the court rules declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as a terrorist group, the government would go after the so-called “legal fronts” of the rebel group, President Rodrigo Duterte said, vowing to crush the New People’s Army (NPA).
In an interview with the press upon his arrival from India on Friday midnight, Duterte stressed that there would be no more peace talks between the government and the communist rebels, taking swipe at the CPP-NPA’s collection of revolutionary tax from mining and banana exporting firms.
“Lahat… lahat ‘yang legal. Kayong mga legal, makinig kayo. Hindi kami torpe. I was once also handling an organ of the Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy. ‘Yun ‘yung Karapatan ngayon,” Duterte said, referring to human rights group Karapatan.
(All…all of the legal fronts. Those of you in the legal struggle, listen. We are not stupid. I was once also handling an organ of the Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy. It is today’s Karapatan.)
“So huwag tayong magbolahan. So I’m waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. ‘Pag lumabas ‘yan as terrorist, which you are, really are. Imposing taxes here and there… Mabuti pa kayo, mas marami ang kita,” he added.
(So let us not fool ourselves. I’m waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. When they declared you as terrorists, which you are, really are. Imposing taxes here and there…. Lucky you, you earn more.)
The decision, however, would not be immediate at the SC. Under the Human Security Act, the government, through the Department of Justice, has to file a petition to declare the group as terrorists. And as with any legal process, the petition could reach all the way up to the SC.
The DOJ said early January that it was already preparing for the petition.
READ: DOJ to include ambuscades in petition to declare CPP, NPA as ‘terror groups’
Duterte also said that he would order to crush the NPA as he emphasized that the peace talks are indeed over.
“Pero kayong enemies of the state, my orders are really to destroy, to destroy the apparatus. Itong NPA, totodasin ko talaga sila (This NPA, I will really crush them). Tatapusin ko. The talks are over. No more talks. And I will go after the legal fronts,” he said.
“‘Yung mga legal—illegal nila na collecting sa taxes, sa mga association, ito ka… Ano ‘to? Mga kasamahan sa magbubukid para magkutkut ng mina diyan sa—T*** i**** ‘yan. Kayo lang ‘yan,” he added.
(The legal—their illegal activities like collecting taxes from the associations… what is that? You tag yourselves as farmers to dig up mines there in… son of a *****. It’s just you.)
He also warned that mining and banana exporting firms may face cancelation of permits if they are found paying revolutionary taxes to the NPA.
“I will place—I suspect everybody. Lahat. Wala akong… mine or banana. Prangkahan tayo. Nagbibigay kayo. Pero ‘pag nahuli ko kayo, I will give you hell of a time,” Duterte noted.
(I will place—I suspect everybody. All. I don’t have… mine or banana. Let’s be frank. You pay. But when I catch you, I will give you hell of a time.)
“Maybe lalo na mga [Especially the] mining firms, I’ll just cancel your… Kayo nagbibigay ng malaki [You give huge sums]. I’ll just cancel your permit. I’ll tell Secretary [Roy] Cimatu to cancel it. You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country,” he said.
Duterte in December last year issued Proclamation No. 374 declaring the CPP-NPA as terrorist organizations and anyone proven to be financing these groups would be held liable under the law.
The declaration came a week after he issued Proclamation No. 360 canceling the peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA and its political wing, the National Democratic Front. /jpv