Duterte dares Joma: Come home and fight here

MANILA, Philippines — Fight your war here.

 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday challenged Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison to come home, saying he should not be staying in another country while his fighters are dying.

 

“If you are truly a revolutionary leader, my God, come home and fight here,” Duterte said during his visit to the wake of police officers ambushed by communist rebels in Negros Oriental.

 

“All these years, you are in another country. A foreign government is spending money and feeding you while your men, the NPA (New People’s Army) are dying. You are a coward. What kind of a leader is that?” he added.

 

The 78-year old Sison has been in self-exile in Netherlands since 1987. Sison is now chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

 

In a communique in March, the CCP announced that it had already held its Second Congress to introduce amendments to the party's constitution and elect "the new Central Committee and Political Bureau for a five-year term."

 

The party said that "[M]ore than half of the newly-elected [Central Committee] members are from the young and middle-aged cadres of the Party, ensuring that the Party leadership will remain vibrant, tightly linked with the lower levels of leadership and capable of leading" revolutionary work.

 

The CPP-NPA-NDFP believe that the Philippines' social problems are caused by feudalism, US imperialism and  "bureaucrat capitalism" — or the use of government resources and structures by the ruling class to enrich themselves at the expense of the rest of the people — and have been fighting to establish a revolutionary government across the Philippines since 1969, a year after the CPP was founded.

 

Duterte and Sison have been trading barbs since the government canceled the peace talks this week. The negotiations were called off after the CPP ordered the NPA to attack government forces enforcing Duterte’s martial law proclamation in Mindanao.

 

Duterte also urged the Lumads or indigenous peoples not to believe in Sison, whom he said, is suffering from colon cancer. The rebel leader has denied Duterte’s claim.

 

“Yung litrato ni Sison, parang Diyos sa inyo. Maniwala kayo, sa bugok na 'yan (You look up to Sison as if he were a God. Do not believe that fool),” the President said of his former college professor.

 

“Magre-revolution, tapos magatago doon sa ibang lugar. Dito tayo. Umuwi ka. Ako ang magsalubong sa iyo. (You waged a revolution and then hide in another place. Come here and I will be the one to meet you),” he added.

 

“I really do not want to answer that old man. Come here. Earn my respect.”

Duterte also scored former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teddy Casino for saying that he went on the stage of militant groups last Monday without permission. The president faced protesters after delivering his second State of the Nation Address last Monday.

 

Duterte said militant party-list nominees also went on his stage while he was running for mayor of Davao City, where he served as local chief executive for 23 years.

 

“You assumed that we were friends and you went on stage. You did not even thank me for allowing you to speak to the people,” the President said. 

 

“Ikaw, Teddy, yung ulo mo sobrang laki (You have become so arrogant). That is the problem with excess brain, it does not work at all. Do not be too proud. What is your contribution to our nation building? Nothing except death and destruction,” he added.

 

Duterte said communists have repeatedly tried but failed to win elections. Although supportive of the Communist Party of the Philippines, affiliation with activist groups under national democrat organization Bagong Alyansang Makabayan does not equate to membership in the CPP or the NPA.

 

“You ran for office but did not win….You started it 50 years ago and you want another 50 years of killing Filipinos? My countrymen, that’s what the NPA wants. Another 50 years of killings,” he said.

Duterte also directed the military and the police not to use the term “revolutionary tax” in its reports, saying it is just a glorified term for extortion.

 

“I don’t deal with revolutionary tax. That’s plain extortion…I’m directing the armed forces and police not to use the revolutionary tax. That’s not the proper word to adopt. This government has taxation,” he said.

 

The military said NPA members are harassing businesses and politicians who refuse to pay the so-called revolutionary tax.

 

The President vowed to file charges against rebels involved in kidnapping, robbery, extortion and other crimes.

 

He also urged Congress to pass a National Security Code to enable the government to address armed threats.

 

“Only the enemies of the government are afraid of that,” Duterte said.

 

Despite his tirades, Duterte said he does not really want to wage war against fellow Filipinos, including the communist rebels.

 

“I do not have anger. If possible, I do not want to fight with them. I hope there is a way to solve this without killing fellow Filipinos. It really pains me to see dead NPAs or Moros, especially if they are my soldiers or policemen. It’s a crazy war,” he said.  

 

“I used to be a friend of the NPA. I can play politics then, when I was mayor. Now, I don’t have the luxury anymore.”

 

Duterte urged NPA members to surrender and assured them of livelihood and employment.

 

“I will turn you into soldiers. If you want, you can keep your firearms as souvenirs,” he said.

 

READ: Duterte 'lowest of the low' over threat to bomb Lumad schools, Reds say

Despite the outcry over his pronouncement that he would bomb lumad or indigenous people’s schools believed to be operated by communists, Duterte said he is determined to save the students whom he said are being indoctrinated to fight the government.

 

“I did not say that I will bomb schools filled with people. I said they should leave because I will destroy the schools. You are using schools without license from the Department of Education,” the President said.

 

“I will save the children from you. Otherwise, they will learn to be like you,” he added.

 

Duterte claimed that the Lumad schools are “destroying the mental health of children.”

 

“They grow up there hating the government and going to war. You’re perpetuating violence in the country. I have every reason to stop it. You’re producing another generation of haters. Do not fool me. You are teaching them socialism and violence,” the president, who has in the past referred to him as a socialist, said.