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Duterte says no truce with CPP-NPA in December

November 22, 2017 | 11:21am

Duterte says no truce with CPP-NPA in December

This photo taken on July 30, 2017 shows guerrillas of the New People's Army resting among bushes in the Sierra Madre mountain range, located east of Manila. Fuelled by one of the world's starkest rich-poor divides, a Maoist rebellion that began months before the first human landed on the moon plods on even though the country now boasts one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Noel Celis/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — There would be no truce with communists next month, President Rodrigo Duterte said, as he stressed that the rebels are no longer worth talking to because of their atrocities against civilians.

“Wala na (No more). It’s an off and on thing which is really something of — it has become an endurance contest,” Duterte told reporters on Tuesday when asked if he would declare a ceasefire with the Maoist guerillas next month.

“Ayaw ko na makipag-usap (I do not want to talk with them anymore) especially the last, ‘yung inambush nila ‘yung pulis pati ‘yung bata (they ambushed the policeman and the infant), the four-month-old. The child was hit while she was in her mother’s arms,” he added.

Duterte was referring to the New People’s Army attack in Bukidnon last November 9 that resulted in the death of a policeman and a four-month-old girl.

“If you’re like that, then we go to war and we will involve the civilians, then let’s not talk anymore,” he said.

READ: Duterte to proclaim CPP-NPA as ‘terrorists’

The government declares a ceasefire with communists every December to allow them to visit their families during the holidays. The ceasefire bars government troops from launching offensives against the NPA but does not prevent them from defending themselves from attacks.

Last year, Duterte suspended the offensive military operations against the NPA from December 23 to 27 and from December 31 to January 3 the following year.

Duterte has dropped the peace negotiations with the communists, saying the rebels are making unreasonable demands while attacking innocent civilians. He has also ordered Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello to inform the communists that he is no longer available for any official talk.

The president said he is ready to go to war with the communists as he vowed to build a strong army to quell their rebellion.

He said he would issue a proclamation categorizing the NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front as terrorist groups and formally terminating the peace talks.

“It’s not an entity anymore worth talking to,” Duterte said.

“I will admit it, pasista ako (I am a fascist). I will categorize you already as terrorists,” he said.

The peace talks with the NDF, the negotiating arm of the communists, have been stalled since July, two months after Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law because of the Marawi siege.

The president was angered by the CPP’s directive for the NPA to attack soldiers and policemen enforcing the military rule.

READ: Duterte: NPAs want war? I'll give it to them

Duterte also vowed to cut the funding sources of the NPA by shutting down mining firms that pay the so-called revolutionary tax.

“All mining companies are paying taxes to the NPA. Without exceptions. Their mining won’t thrive if they do not give money,” he said.

“We have to decide once and for all. If I go against the communists, then everybody has to reconfigure their relationship with the NPA. If you support them financially, I will close you down,” he added.

Duterte said he would meet with mining firms to warn them against giving in to the NPA’s extortion activities.

“It’s almost a public knowledge that mining companies are contributing to the taxation of the NPAs thereby giving them also strength, money to buy arms, and bullets and all in their desire to topple down the Republic of the Philippines,” the president said.

“We have to talk. I have to talk to them. For those who cannot resist. Then you better close (shop). I can always invoke the higher interest of the dangerous tendency rule of capitulating to the pressure of the communists,” he added.