MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte made it clear that he considered communist rebels as terrorists, days after he signed the anti-terrorism bill into law. Duterte said in his briefing about the COVID-19 pandemic on early Wednesday morning that communist rebels were against the anti-terrorism law because believed that they should not be classified as terrorists. Last Friday, Duterte signed the anti-terrorism bill despite stiff opposition from human rights groups, administration critics, and international bodies. Duterte insisted that the time to be friendly with communist rebels, which he said was a political necessity, had come to an end. The CPP and NPA are revolutionary organizations that uphold and pursue the Filipino people’s aspiration for national freedom and social justice.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 08, 2020 03:23 UTC