Rody gives rice to NPA, cash to barangay execs

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – In his first Christmas as President, Rodrigo Duterte has given extra cash gifts to barangay officials here and sent rice and medicine to leftist guerrillas.

The cash gift for the officials, many of whom he had known since the beginning of his more than two decades as mayor of this city, he claimed came from his unspent campaign funds during the May 9 elections. 

Addressing over 2,000 barangay officials Tuesday night at the Almendras Gym, Duterte said the aid for the New People’s Army (NPA) was given in the spirit of the holidays.

“Yes, I sent them rice and medicine for Christmas,” the President said, stressing this was in the hope of boosting the government’s peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF).

The President announced the additional cash gift of P10,000 to each barangay chairman while councilors received P3,000 each during a gathering of village officials.

On top of the cash, the President said the barangay officials would also receive grocery packs.

“You have been with me for a long time, since I was mayor for 23 years and then vice mayor, three years and first district congressman another three years. That is my gift to you,” the President told the officials.

Duterte acknowledged the role the village officials played in his almost 40 years in public service, including the time he was still city prosecutor before he was appointed interim vice mayor before the 1988 elections when he first won as mayor.

“A friend gave me money during the election but I did not accept it. He did not accept it when I tried to return it. I did not report it as contribution because I did not accept it. He later said you can do whatever with it,” Duterte said.

However, he did not identify who exactly was the friend who gave him the money.

He said that there were others who accepted the campaign contributions when he returned them, but there were others who wanted him to hold the money in trust.

The President said he donated some funds to hospitals and other concerns but he reserved some amount for barangay officials.

“I could not have been mayor if you did not help,” he added.

The President likewise assured the barangay officials that the money he will give them did not come from government funds.

“Do not worry about corruption because this is not the money of the government. This is the money which is given to me that I tried to return,” Duterte said.

The President said he is being truthful about the money, which he said he actually did not accept but that he only held for his donors.

“It is not income on my part, that is not my money. I handled a lot of money, I returned some amount, some accepted the money back, some did not. I am just making public what is really the truth,” Duterte told the local officials.

Revolutionary taxes

The President, however, lamented how the leftist rebels continue to resort to collecting so-called revolutionary taxes and destroying the properties of private firms and individuals.

“Sige lang gihapon sila pangayo. Sige lang gihapon panunog. Tama na pagka-small time ba ninyo (You still continue to ask and you still burn things. Stop it. It is small time.) Refrain from destroying things that are not yours. If you want, go to San Pedro Church and join the many people who are begging there,” the President said.

Militant group Bayan welcomed Duterte’s act of goodwill, describing it as “a good gesture.”

Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said the socio-economic causes of the rebels’ unlawful acts must be addressed soon, perhaps threshed out at the start of the peace talks in January.

“He makes use of his peace panel,” Reyes said in a text message to The STAR. “The purpose of the talks is to address the root causes of the armed conflict.”

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chief peace negotiator, last Tuesday led other government officials in marking CPP’s 48th anniversary by visiting one of the strongholds of the NPA in the hinterlands of Paquibato district in this city.

Bello spoke before 8,000 rebel sympathizers and supporters, sharing optimism for lasting peace with CPP founder Jose Maria Sison.

In an earlier video message, Sison said the prospect of achieving peace under the Duterte government is brighter than ever in the history of the almost five-decade communist rebellion.

Joining Bello in the trip to the NPA lair were Interior Secretary Mike Sueno, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, National Anti-Poverty Commission chief Liza Maza and Labor Undersecretary Joel Maglungsod.

Bello assured rebel leaders of the sickly and elderly political detainees’ release from prison soon, one thing that the militant group Bayan mentioned as another plea to the Duterte government.

“It is just a matter of time,” he said. “The President will keep his word.” – With Elizabeth Marcelo, Sheila Crisostomo