Duterte: Reds working with ‘yellows’ to disrupt elections

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte on Saturday warned that communist insurgents are conniving with a certain political organization to destabilize the May 9 elections.

“But what I really am afraid of is the report of the intelligence community. If you have time, I will allow you to be briefed by the intelligence people,” Duterte told controversial pastor Apollo Quiboloy during a taped interview.

“It seems there’s a grouping of the communists, the yellows, and another… Well, of course the communist is already a terrorist organization. So the yellows, that’s a... I forgot the other one,” he added.

“They (government) are watching for that kind of situation. They might be... That what I said could disrupt because they have these working relations now with the yellows and the election is the objective really,” the President said.

Duterte made the warning after presidential aspirant Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Cavite Rep. Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that the campaign of Vice President and presidential hopeful Leni Robredo has been infiltrated by communists.

Yellow is the color associated with the Liberal Party, where Robredo remains a member.

Meanwhile, the President reiterated a warning to politicians or groups planning to use violence to advance their political interest in the coming national elections.

He particularly mentioned the warring factions in Cotabato.

“I will not allow terrorism in the elections. I will not allow violence,” Duterte said.

He also brushed off reports saying most of the ballots to be used in the coming polls have already been printed without any witness.

The President said he does not believe the accusation, noting he has full trust in the members of the Commission on Elections.

“Because I think the ballot is being printed in the Bureau of Printing. And I think, if there is a requirement that there should be witnesses, I am sure I’ve not heard of any reason this particular rule has been disregarded. I have not yet heard of it,” he said.

Choose a compassionate, decisive candidate

In the same interview, Duterte also said he prefers a lawyer as his successor.

“First, the president should be a compassionate one. Someone who is really for the people,” Duterte said. “If there is somebody who would ask me what it would be, I would say, you must love the human being. You should really love your fellow.

“My father told me, because I said in jest, I’ll be a congressman when I grow up, ‘No, first you have to love the people. You must be ready to wake up in the wee hours of the mo… evening to… just to solve one,’” Duterte said.

“You people of Davao saw that. So, must be compassionate. But I’m also extreme. I’m sympathetic but if you’re into drugs, stay away from me because I could shoot,” he added.

The next president should also be decisive, Duterte said.

“You should not be scared... Well, it wasn’t me who said it’s the best quality, but one of the best qualities of a president is hopefully he or she is a lawyer. One should be able to decide right away, and know the repercussions,” the President, who is also a lawyer, said.

The next president should be a good judge of character, according to Duterte.

“Kailan mo malaman na bulador, kailan. And so, you are able to get, you are able to delegate these powers because you know their character,” he said, mentioning some members of his Cabinet, whom he said are valedictorians.

In an interview with acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar last month, Duterte said he would like to “stay neutral” in the May 9 elections.

“If I will endorse? I may or may not. I’d like to stay neutral, that means I will not support a candidate,” he said.

Duterte, however, said he may be “compelled” to choose a candidate if “it is in the interest of the people.”

Reds hit Rody-Ping poll disruption chorus

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) criticized Duterte anew for joining in chorus with Senator Lacson “in whipping up the bogey of disruption during the elections and fabricating stories of “intelligence reports,” “a communist plot” and “alliance with the opposition.”

CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena said Duterte “is now singing a tune from the Marcos songbook,” adding the President’s statements “echo warnings and scenario-building of Ferdinand Marcos made fifty years ago prior to the declaration of martial law on September 21, 1972.”

The CPP believes Duterte “is rushing to build the scenario of “election disruption” in the face of the increasing political isolation of the ruling regime and growing mass movement against the Marcos-Duterte tandem.”

The organization further senses “(a) growing anti-Duterte and anti-Marcos movement is developing around the election campaign of leading oppositionists Leni Robredo and Francis Pangilinan.”

The CPP also surmises the President is on “political panic” and there is “growing fear that he might not be able to steal the elections without inciting widespread protests.”

Valbuena alerted what he called “Duterte’s false flag operations” adding, “His vague words of the possibility of “one, two or three” incidents may indicate plans to carry out some form of violent attacks (bombings or assassinations) which can then lay the blame on the CPP and NPA, and set the stage for mass arrests of members of patriotic and democratic mass organizations and opposition parties, or an open declaration of martial law.

“Any plan to disrupt the elections through violent acts will most likely be the handiwork of Duterte himself, who is not a stranger to bloody tactics as evidenced by the drug war killings, the bombing of Marawi, the aerial bombing drive and cold-blooded murder of revolutionaries and activists,” Valbuena warned.

He promised, “the New People’s Army will continue to wage people’s war in the mountains and countryside and secure and defend the people’s interests against brutal fascist attacks by Duterte’s military and police forces.”