MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte's supposed plan to 'hamlet' Lumad communities will be "for their own good and safety," the Palace said Wednesday. Related Stories UN warns Philippines over 'massive' impact of military ops on Lumads in Mindanao“I have to be the one to say this first so that they won’t make up false stories. He said, however, that the move is meant to "to protect [the Lumads], to shield from them from harassment or from undue influence... indocrination coming from the Left for their own good and safety." The Armed Forces of the Philippines has said that most NPA rebels in Mindanao are from the Lumad communities. Since peace negotiations with the rebels collapsed, Duterte has formally designated the Communist Party of the Philippines and its 3,800-strong New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.

Source: Philippine Star December 19, 2018 06:45 UTC