Gov’t to go after CPP’s legal fronts —Duterte

FORT MAGSAYSAY — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he would tag all the legal fronts of the New People's Army as criminals and have them arrested for conspiracy.

Duterte reiterated that he would soon declare NPA as a terror group.

"We will treat you as criminals. We will arrest you, including legal fronts; legal fronts helping to topple government, sow terror," he told the soldiers.

"At ‘yung mga legal fronts ninyo, alam ko... ‘Wag nalang tayo magbolahan, galing ako diyan eh. You are helping each other conspiring to topple or whatever, to sow terror. We will treat you as a criminal, period. And we will arrest everybody connected with ‘yung mga legal fronts nila," he told the soldiers.

Duterte said that he would no longer talk to the NPA because of their atrocities against the government security forces.

The latest casualty–a four-month-old child–could have triggered the President's latest remarks against the Reds.

"Kaya magpatay sila ng bata, bakit pa ako makipag-usap sa kanila? Every time may ceasefire, pinapatay nila sundalo ko, pati police ko niyayari nila. Eh ‘di giyera na lang," Duterte added.

Earlier today, Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza said that the government had canceled talks with the communists, following Duterte's latest pronouncements. But he made it clear that peace process could still be revived if there is a enabling environment.

"Sinabi ko na kay Dureza pati kay [Labor Secretary and government peace panel chief negotiator Silvestre] Bello, nandoon sila sa labas, 'Tell the idiots, I am no longer talking to them,'" Duterte said. —NB, GMA News