Palace denies Duterte attack vs Zarate, progressive party-list groups diversionary tactic

December 1, 2020

Malacanang denied on Tuesday that President Rodrigo Duterte's fresh attack against progressive party-list groups and branding them as communists was a diversionary tactic to remove the public's attention on more pressing issues.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a televised press briefing, said that Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, his group, and Gabriela, among others, should admit that they are really communists.

"Be true. That's all I can say and I have to say to him," he said when asked on the statement of Zarate that Duterte's attack against them was his tactic to divert the people's attention on more important issues.

Duterte specifically named Zarate as a communist and even likened him to a dog's poop.

Roque said these progressive party-list groups should admit that they are communists since it is not a crime to be one.

He said what is a crime is "they have consistently been lying."

"Because they are saying that their legal fronts have nothing to do with the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines). Hello, since the time of (former President Corazon) Cory (Aquino), being a CPP has been decriminalized. Come out with it and admit, 'Yes, we are members of the Communist Party of the Philippines'," Roque said.

"But the crime is the New People's Army because that is a crime of rebellion, taking up of arms against the government, killing civilians and soldiers," he said.

He added that it is difficult to separate CPP from NPA as shown in the two organizations' statements, which are always signed by CPP-NPA.

"So, that is what is illegal there. The fact is, if you are a member of CPP, you can be legal but you have to renounce the use of arms. Since they are all good in parliamentary politics, they are elected, they have the most number in the party-list groups, why don't they just renounce the use of arms. That's what we're only asking," he said.

Roque said if they continue not to renounce armed struggle, they would be considered as criminals.

When Duterte called Zarate and other party-list groups as communists, he said the President just wanted to expose their lies.

He noted that Duterte's expose against Zarate was based on his personal knowledge as the two have long known each other.

"And the President himself admitted more than once that he was part of the legal front. That's the precursor of Karapatan, he was head of that group in Davao. So, he knew the link between these legal fronts - that's why legal in order to make it appear that they are not members of the CPP-NPA. The problem is the communist party does not stand alone in this country; otherwise they will run for party-list. They are always connected, the 'dash NPA,' and that becomes criminal," he added. Celerina Monte/DMS