UN official and former priests among ‘communist guerrillas’ Duterte wants banned
The fiery leader turns on the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing after détente fails
Manila — A UN special rapporteur, a former Filipino legislator and four former Catholic priests are among more than 600 alleged communist guerrillas the Philippines wants declared "terrorists", according to a government petition filed in court. The justice ministry last month said it wanted a Manila court to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), "terrorist" bodies, but made no mention of individuals it would also target. The petition, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, suggests President Rodrigo Duterte is following through on his threats to destroy a movement he now regards as duplicitous. Within weeks of taking office in July 2016, Duterte freed some communist leaders and put leftists in his cabinet, to show his commitment to finding a permanent solution to a five-decade conflict. But he abandoned the process in November, after what he called repeated attacks by the NPA during talks. The petition said the rebels wer...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.