Revolutionary taxation needs to be resolved when talks resume —solon

KIDAPAWAN CITY —"Coercive" revolutionary taxation is one of the sticky issues that must be discussed when talks between the Philippine government and the communist rebels resume, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Congresswoman Nancy Catamco said the alleged “forceful” revolutionary taxation on the residents by the New Peoples’ Army, especially in far-flung areas, is rampant.

Catamco said tha collection of revolutionary taxes must be discussed during the talks, as well as government troops' non-compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and the International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

She suggested these two issues can be addressed by creating a local monitoring mechanism while the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines are at the negotiating table.

Catamco expressed her support for the move of the Rodrigo Duterte administration to resume the stalled peace negotiations.

The lawmaker authored House Resolution No. 1891, which she filed on May 21, that seeks support for the resumption of the talks to push further the peoples’ peace agenda for the province of North Cotabato.

According to her, the peace agenda was crafted by interfaith groups and the civil society network in the province.

Catamco has also called for the dropping of the name of United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of the indigenous peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz from the administration's terrorist list.

“I know very well Ms. Victoria Corpuz as an IP advocate, that’s why I am appealing to the President to delist her as terrorist,” she said.

Catamco, a Manobo, chairs the Committee on Indigenous Peoples in the House of Representatives. —LBG, GMA News