Duterte denounces partylist groups

PRESIDENT RODRIGO Duterte has publicly denounced several party-list groups, accusing them of being a legal front for the communist rebels and told Filipinos not to vote for their congressional representatives in this May elections.

“I’d like to say something about the government’s effort to end the communist insurgency. Alam mo, they are, totoo ‘yan, nakapasok sila sa Congress. No doubt about it. They have used the party-list. So ito lahat ng mga mayaman, lahat ng may mga gusto ng influence sa kanilang whatever, negosyo o connection, puwede silang lumapit dito sa mga partylist,” Duterte said. 

“But in particular, sabihin ko sa inyo na tama si Lorraine Badoy na itong mga party-list na Kabataan, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alyansa of Concerned Teachers or ACT, at Gabriela. Makita naman ninyo sa behavior nila and the way they espouse their advocacy for a party - left, left, left ang talagang drift nila. Ang problema, they are supporting or they are really parang legal fronts ng Communist Party of the Philippines, itong ulitin ko Kabataan, Anakpawis, Bayan Muna, Alyansa of Concerned Teachers (ACT), and Gabriela. Para hindi ninyo makalimutan KABAG ng tiyan. Kabataan - K, Anakpawis – A, Bayan Muna - B, Alyansa of Concerned Teachers (ACT) - A, at Gabriela,” he added. 

Badoy is the spokeswoman for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office. She is also facing complaints in the Office of the Ombudsman filed by several groups after alleging that Vice President Leni Robredo, who is running for president, supports the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.

“I’m sorry to say marami akong kaibigan diyan, respetado ko ‘yung pagkatao nila but alam nila na alam ko na ang sinusuportahan nila through itong backdoor, itong alliance nila sa gobyerno napasok ‘yung mga left. Pati sa labas, sa abroad, in the international bodies na-infiltrate din nila and they are espousing an advocacy that in the end ang gusto nila tapusin itong gobyerno na ito. You know I’d like to say something, this government was not imposed upon the people. This government was created or established through legal means noon pa, noong nag-republic tayo. We have changes sa administrasyon,” Duterte said. 

“Pero itong basic na rights and obligations pati ang limit ng power ng gobyerno sa mga tao, makialam is the Bill of Rights, iyan ang pader. Hindi lang para sa mga komunista or mga, pero including the criminals. Ang limit ng government power is found fundamentally nandiyan sa Bill of Rights ng ating Constitution. So ito sila they were able to blossom into something, matagal na ito. Ang problema ginagamit nila ang pera, kinukuha nila ‘yung pera ng gobyerno at binubuhay nila ‘yung mga ano, mga NPAs, (pu)tang-ina. They are supporting a bunch of, wala na silang ideology,” the president added. 

Duterte was also a supporter of the communist rebels when he was mayor of Davao, but broke off ties with them after his peace talks failed to convince the communist leaders to sign an accord that would end decades of bloody fighting. The communist demanded to co-equally run the government which Duterte flatly rejected after releasing senior rebel leaders to join the peace negotiations. 

The party-list system is a mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions registered with the Commission on Elections. (Mindanao Examiner)