Duterte wants to cancel permits of mining firms who pay revolutionary tax

January 27, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte warns to cancel permits of the mining companies who will give in to the extortion activities of the communists.

“I suspect everybody…  I will be frank, you were giving in but when I catch you, I will give your hell of a time. Maybe especially in mining, I’ll just cancel your… you’re the one whose giving (rebels) more (money),” Duterte said during his arrival at the Davao City International Airport early Saturday.

“I’ll just cancel your permit. I’ll tell (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, DENR) Secretary (Roy) Cimatu to cancel it. You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country,” he noted.

Duterte is referring to the revolutionary taxes illegally collected by the members of New People’s Army (NPA) from mining firms and other private companies who operate mostly in southern Philippines.

The chief executive also warns to go after the so-called “legal fronts” of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) –New People Army (NPA) – National Democratic Front (NDF).

“To the enemies of the state, my orders are really to destroy, to destroy the apparatus. Those NPA I will eliminate them, I will end them. The talks are over. No more talks. And I will go after the legal fronts,” he said.

“To the all the legal (fronts), you should listen… I was once also handling an organ of the Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy. That is the Karapatan now, so let us not fool ourselves,” he added.

In previous statement, former  Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Ano criticized CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison when he denied that he is benefiting from the revolutionary taxes being collected by the NPA rebels.

“That is expected. Mr. Sison and other top leaders of the CPP-NPA will deny taking lion-share of the extortion money they exact from plantation owners, contractors, and business persons,” said Ano.

“He (Sison) will definitely disavow that because he is a liar, a master deceiver; a criminal,” he said.

“What will be surprising is if he admits to rake enormous sums of money where there can be no money or paper trails that may directly or indirectly implicate Mr. Sison and his cohorts,” he added.

According to the military, the rebels were harassing and burning properties of the private firms who refuse to give in their extortion demands.

As of Saturday, the AFP have recorded a total of 18 NPA rebels who were killed during the conduct of military operation from the first three weeks of January.

Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, AFP Public Affairs Office chief, said the military has recorded a total of 188 rebels who were surrendered during the same period of this year.

Garcia said they “were provided with financial assistance, livelihood, remuneration for their surrendered firearms, and skills training to help them start a reformed life away from armed struggle.” Robina Asido/DMS