‘Threat to overthrow Rody proves CPP enemy of state’

MANILA, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)’s goal of overthrowing the Duterte administration this year proved that its members are “enemies of the state,” Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said seeking to oust a government is tantamount to fighting with the people who elected it. 

“Our President is duly elected. He was democratically elected, he took his oath and he was supported by the entire nation,” Andanar told radio station dzRB last Saturday. 

“If the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front) want to oust our President, they also want to overthrow the government. That means they are really enemies of the state and they are enemies of the people,” he added. 

The CPP is the political arm of the communists while the NPA serves as their armed wing. The NDF represented the rebels in the peace negotiations with the government until the talks collapsed this year. 

President Duterte justified his decision to terminate the talks by accusing the communists of pushing for a coalition government, a setup that he said is not allowed by the Constitution. 

In its statement for its 49th anniversary last week, CPP vowed to “build the broadest united front to overthrow the US-Duterte regime and its rule of fascist terror.”

The group also ordered the NPA to intensify guerrilla warfare throughout the whole archipelago, launch tactical offensives against government forces, and conduct “punitive operations” against what it described as the “worst plunderers and corrupt officials, political and crime associates, and death squads of the Duterte regime.” 

CPP claimed that Filipinos are “suffering gravely” under the “fascist tyranny, all-out economic liberalization and bureaucratic corruption” of the Duterte administration.

Despite the scrapping of the peace talks, Duterte declared a ceasefire with the rebels that took effect from 6 p.m. on Dec. 23 to 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 26 and on the same hours from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2.  

The CPP also declared its own ceasefire that took effect 6 p.m. on Dec. 23 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 26, and the same hours on Dec. 30 to Jan. 2.

But the ceasefire did not prevent the clashes between the military and the communists, who have been waging an armed struggle against the government for almost 50 years.