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 鈥渓egal fronts鈥� of the rebel group, President Rodrigo Duterte said, vowing to crush the New People鈥檚 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鈥檚 collection of revolutionary tax from mining and banana exporting firms.
鈥淟ahat鈥� lahat 鈥榶ang 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. 鈥榊un 鈥榶ung Karapatan ngayon,鈥� Duterte said, referring to human rights group Karapatan.
(All鈥ll 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鈥檚 Karapatan.)
鈥淪o huwag tayong magbolahan. So I鈥檓 waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. 鈥楶ag lumabas 鈥榶an as terrorist, which you are, really are. Imposing taxes here and there鈥� Mabuti pa kayo, mas marami ang kita,鈥� he added.
(So let us not fool ourselves. I鈥檓 waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. When they declared you as terrorists, which you are, really are. Imposing taxes here and there鈥�. 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 鈥榯error groups鈥�
Duterte also said that he would order to crush the NPA as he emphasized that the peace talks are indeed over.
鈥淧ero 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,鈥� he said.
鈥溾�榊ung mga legal鈥攊llegal nila na collecting sa taxes, sa mga association, ito ka鈥� Ano 鈥榯o? Mga kasamahan sa magbubukid para magkutkut ng mina diyan sa鈥擳*** i**** 鈥榶an. Kayo lang 鈥榶an,鈥� he added.
(The legal鈥攖heir illegal activities like collecting taxes from the associations鈥� what is that? You tag yourselves as farmers to dig up mines there in鈥� son of a . It鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 will place鈥擨 suspect everybody. Lahat. Wala akong鈥� mine or banana. Prangkahan tayo. Nagbibigay kayo. Pero 鈥榩ag nahuli ko kayo, I will give you hell of a time,鈥� Duterte noted.
(I will place鈥擨 suspect everybody. All. I don鈥檛 have鈥� mine or banana. Let鈥檚 be frank. You pay. But when I catch you, I will give you hell of a time.)
鈥淢aybe lalo na mga [Especially the] mining firms, I鈥檒l just cancel your鈥� Kayo nagbibigay ng malaki [You give huge sums]. I鈥檒l just cancel your permit. I鈥檒l tell Secretary [Roy] Cimatu to cancel it. You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country,鈥� 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