Panelo slams CPP statement vs. anti-NPA Task Force as 'self-serving'

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Saturday hit the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for its statement that the anti-New People's Army (NPA) Task Force of the Duterte administration will fail to weaken the armed insurgencies.

"Sison's statement is self-serving, obviously he cannot say that the creation of the Task Force will weaken the NPA," Panelo said in a text message.

The Palace official was asked to comment on CPP's statement that Duterte's anti-NPA Task Force will fail in weakening the NPA. 

"On the contrary, with his strongman tactics, Duterte is succeeding only in pushing more and more people to join and support the New People's Army," the CPP said.

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte announced the creation of a national task force to "address the armed conflict occasioned by the local communists." 

Panelo, however, said it is the communist rebels who have failed in their struggle to overthrow the government.

"The fact of the matter is that it has not succeeded in fifty years overthrowing the government," the Presidential spokesperson said.

"It has only succeeded in alienating itself from the masses of our people by their atrocious assaults on hapless victims by their ambushes of soldiers, policemen and civilians alike, by their unlawful and forcible collection of revolutionary taxes and their destruction of the properties who fail to fail or refuse to give in," he added. —KG, GMA News