NDF consultant: Duterte is terrorist not CPP-NPA

MANILA, Philippines — National Democratic Front of the Philippines senior adviser Luis Jalandoni said President Rodrigo Duterte is the terrorist and not the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing.

“Hindi maniniwala ang taumbayan na ang CPP- NPA ay terorista, sapagkat talaga ang katotohanan si Duterte mismo ang terorista (The public will not believe the CPP-NPA are terrorists because the truth is Duterte himself is the terrorist),” Jalandoni said at the “Peace Talks: May Pag-asa pa?” forum.

Jalandoni explained that Duterte is a terrorist because thousands of lives were claimed in his drug war.

The NDF consultant made the statement a day after Duterte signed Proclamation No. 374 declaring the CPP-NPA as a “designated/identified terrorist organization under Republic Act No. 10168 or The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.”

READ: Duterte declares CPP-NPA as terrorist groups

Last month, Duterte said he is eyeing to declare communist rebels as terrorists citing that they are criminals. He also said he is “not anymore inclined” to continue the peace talks with the CPP-NPA.

Human rights groups earlier said Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs has claimed more than 12,000 lives since it started July 2016 but police numbers differ from their estimates.

They also hit the president’s supposed order to kill and said his statements are tantamount to allowing police to indiscriminately kill suspected criminals without the benefit of a court hearing.

In his previous speeches, Duterte ordered the police to kill criminals who resist arrest. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales also criticized Duterte's order to kill as "unacceptable."

READ: Duterte: Shoot suspects who fight back, make them fight if they don't

Duterte denied these allegations and said he could defend his statements even before Jesus Christ.