Andanar: President serious in defeating communist insurgency

President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer of monetary reward for killing New People’s Army members underscores the government’s resolve to curb communist insurgency in the country, a Malacañang official said Friday.

“Lahat lang po ng sinasabi ng Presidente ay para lang po masugpo ang CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front). Seryoso po ang Presidente dito,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in an interview on GMA News’ Unang Balita.

Duterte has offered a P25,000 bounty for every NPA member killed by members of indigenous communities in response to CPP founder Jose Maria Sison’s threat that the insurgents could kill one soldier a day to force the resumption of peace talks.

The President said such method would be cheaper than waging an all-out war against the rebels.

Duterte’s offer did not sit well with an international human rights watchdog.

According to New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW), the bounty only encourages war crimes such as shooting enemy fighters who have surrendered or are wounded, or who are civilians protected from attack.

“Such rhetoric is especially dangerous because the Philippines has a history of Lumad community members being on both sides of the country’s many internal conflicts, as both fighters and victims. This includes joining paramilitaries and militias during the nearly half-century long Maoist insurgency and equally protracted Islamic separatist movements and local conflicts in the south,” said HRW Asia division researcher Carlos Conde.

Conde said respecting rights “rather than offering bounties” was “the best way to help the Lumad.” — Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News