Duterte to probe ‘financial deals’ of Left’s legal fronts

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte examines the firearms recovered from the communist rebels on the sidelines of the establishment of the TienDA Para sa mga Bayani at Camp General Manuel Yan in Mawab Sr. in Mawab Compostela Valley Province on January 22, 2018. Joining the President are 10th Infantry Division Commander Major General Noel Clement, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go. (Photo by Ace Morandante/Presidential Photo)

DAVAO CITY — After declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as terrorist organization with an order to “destroy” them, President Rodrigo Duterte is now eyeing to look into the financial deals of communist legal fronts.

The president said there could be some money laundering activities done by communist rebels given their collection of “revolutionary taxes” from big agricultural, mining companies and other businesses.

“So my next step really is I will look into your transactions on money laundering,” Duterte said in a press conference on Saturday during his arrival from India.

Money laundering is a crime where proceeds of an unlawful activity are “transacted”, making them appear to have originated from legitimate sources.

It is committed by any person knowing that any monetary instrument or property represents, involves, or relates to, the proceeds of any unlawful activity, transacts or attempts to transact said monetary instrument or property.

Duterte said he was just waiting for the Supreme Court to decide on his earlier proclamation declaring the CPP-NPA as terrorist group.

“I’m waiting for that law that it’s being heard now in the Supreme Court. I maintained that they are into terrorism because they are into exploitation of everything, getting the money of the people,” he said.

Duterte said some members of the NPA went to barangays to ask for money and involved “abusing” men’s wives.

“Kapag pumupunta doon sila sa mga barangay-barangay, ‘yung asawa, hinihipo ‘yung hita. Tingnan mo ka-bastos ng…tapos kunan mo ng pera ((When they go to the barangay, they touch the legs of wives. See how vulgar then they get money). Why? Because they feel that they are superior. What makes them superior is in their minds? Baril (Guns). Yung walang baril diyan o, mga talawan yan (Those who do not have guns, they are coward). Then here comes the ideologian, isa pa rin (that’s another one) ‘Yung mga leaders ninyo, malalaki ang contribution ng sa labas (those outside have big contributions),” he stressed.

“So I’m waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court. ‘Pag lumabas ‘yan as a terrorist, which you are, really are,” he added.

Duterte also reiterated that there would be “no more talks and the government will not reach (out to) them anymore.”

Arrest of legal fronts

Duterte also declared to go after the legal fronts of the CPP-NPA.

“Yung mga legal illegal nila na collecting sa taxes sa mga associations (These legal fronts they are illegally collecting taxes for these associations),” he said.

“Kayong mga legal, makinig kayo. Hindi kami torpe. I was once also handling an organ of the Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy. ‘Yun ‘yung Karapatan ngayon (You legal fronts, listen to me. We are not stupid. I was also handling an organization of the Nationalist Alliance for Justice, Freedom and Democracy which is Karapatan now),” Duterte said.

Duterte called on these groups to stop claiming they are for the people when their sole agenda is to destabilize the government.

“Huwag tayong magbolahan (Stop playing around),” he said.

Closure of firms

Duterte also warned of shutting down companies giving money to the NPA in the guise of a revolutionary tax.

“Kayo nagbibigay ng malaki (Those who give big amount of money) I’ll just cancel your permit,” he said.

“You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country,” he added.

Duterte said he firmly believed that mining firms and banana plantations were the ones who gave money to the rebels.

“Pag nalaman ko na… if I will know) na sabihin mo na wala kang guwardiya doon… karami diyan Pilipino walang trabaho. Diyan sa city jail mamili ka diyan. Pa-eskapuhin ko ‘yan. Gawain mong CAFGU (If I will find that, if I will know that you are saying you have no guards there. There are many Filipinos who have no jobs. You can choose people there in city jail and I will make them escape and make them CAFGU),” he said.

“I’ll tell Secretary (Roy) Cimatu to cancel it. You are funding an organization which is bent on destroying my country, our country,” he added.

‘Destroy’ NPA

“My orders are really to destroy, to destroy the apparatus. Itong NPA, totodasin ko talaga sila. Tatapusin ko (These NPA rebels, I will really finish them and kill them),” he said.

Duterte reiterated there would be no more talks and the government would not reach out to them anymore.

“The talks are over. No more talks,” he said.

“The order is to crush. A synonym of that is destroyed. And a collateral of that sentence is you destroy. And if you have to kill, do it because the human rights, kung babagsak itong bayan na ‘to, walang maitulong sa atin ‘yan (if this country falls, they cannot help us),” he said.