Rody to NPA: Give up and get free housing

By Vito Barcelo / Manila Standard

President Rodrigo Duterte has renewed his offer to the New People’s Army rebels of free housing and livelihood if they will surrender to the government.

The President said the communist rebels are resorting to killing innocent people and do not get anything from it.

“You have not obtained a single barangay. You have not been successful in all your ideological confrontations. What’s left with you is just killing people. For what?” Duterte said.

The President vowed to give the rebels shelter and livelihood should they lay down their firearms and join the mainstream of the society.

He warned that the government troops would shoot to death armed communist insurgents if they continue to commit atrocities.

“You know, it’s a two-way affair. You kill but my soldiers will also kill you. That’s how it goes. If there’s a funeral in the jungle, we also have a funeral in the camps. It’s like we have a contest on which side gets to kill the most number,” he said.

He said the rebels should “drop the armed struggle,” saying nothing will happen if they continue since their leaders have grown old.

“Komunista, you want to live a normal life? Drop the guns. I’ll give you the house and I’ll give you the money to start,” he said.

“Nothing will happen, I tell you. Your leaders are old. Their brains are no longer not as good as before. it’s gone, period,” he added.

In his SONA last month. The President took pride of the government’s strides in fighting the local armed conflict, saying the group’s end was imminent.

Among the accomplishments were the dismantling of several communist fronts as well as the surrender of more than 17,000 rebels to the government.

“With the support of our local government units, I am confident that support for the communist movement will continue to erode in the next few months,” the President said.

The government terminated the peace negotiations with the local communist group in 2017 over its atrocities against troops and civilians.