(Photo from the official Facebook pages of Duterte and Roxas)
JAEN—Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Mar Roxas on Thursday condemned the harassment of local officials campaigning for Daang Matuwid by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Panay Island and pointed to the camp of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as responsible for the atrocity.
In a press briefing, Roxas said that several mayors allied to the administration were being intimidated and threatened with harm if they continue to campaign for Daang Matuwid.
He said that he knows where this is coming from because among the presidential candidates, he was the only one who explicitly expressed his stand against the NPA.
“At alam ko rin na ang kanilang supporter na si Mayor Duterte ang nasa likod nito. Dahil siya lang ang nagsasabi na dapat bayaran yung revolutionary tax; dapat bayaran yung permit to campaign na pinapatong nila sa mga kandidato; na dapat tulungan itong mga NPA na ito,” Roxas said.
He said that the communist rebels, just like Duterte, are the biggest threat to democracy.
“Ito na. Mayor Duterte, mga komunista, mga NPA, ang pinakamalaking hamon, laban sa ating sistema ng demokrasya at ng sistema ng pamumuhay,”he said.
“Para sa kanila, sila lang ang mananaig. Ang komunismo po, walang takot sa Diyos. Ang komunismo po, diktaturya; iisa lang ang nag-iisip diyan. At alam natin po kung sino ang astang diktador sa ating kapaligiran,” Roxas said.
He said that he would not allow anyone to destroy the democratic system from which millions of Filipinos enjoy freedom and economic prosperity.
He vowed that he would stand against those who wish to destroy that freedom and apply the full force of the law – not violence – to preserve our democracy.
“Lalabanan ko ito dahil ang ating demokrasya, ang ating kalayaan, ang ating sistema ng ekonomiya, ay mahalaga at ngayon ay nagbibigay ng kaginhawaan sa napakaraming milyon-milyong pamilya. Lalabanan ko ang mga NPA, lalabanan ko ang mga rebelde, sisiguraduhin ko na mananatiling mapayapa at maayos ang ating halalaan at hindi natin hahayaang manaig itong mga nagbibigay banta laban sa ating demokrasya,” Roxas said.