By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – Former Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Zimmerman Duterte lashed out at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chair Jose Maria Sison, calling him a disgrace and a “pathological liar” after the exiled communist leader tagged him and his father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, as the “biggest protectors of illegal drugs in the country.”
Paolo Duterte
(KEITH BACONGCO/ Manila Bulletin File Photo) In a statement issued on Friday, the presidential son called Sison a “disgrace” to the country and a “pathological liar” for repeating an accusation propagated and thrown around by the staunch critics of the Duterte administration, particularly opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV whom he said is a “rabid anti-communist.” “Joma Sison’s accusation that my father and I are the biggest protectors of illegal drugs in the country confirms that the founder of the oldest terror group in Southeast Asia is completely losing it,” the former Davao City vice mayor said. Duterte added that Sison’s statement showed how much he was willing to take for the sake of public attention, propaganda, and significance. “It also showed the nature of his politics and principles — where it’s acceptable for enemies to sleep together in one bed, speak one language, and unify forces and work together until the common target is toppled down,” he said. He said the communist leader’s insanity would fail just like the bloody Maoist revolution in the Philippines. “And Mr. Sison and his organizations — the CPP-NDFP-NPA — will be remembered in history for their contribution in the revolution that victimized the oppressed, the poor, and ultimately, the growth and development of the Philippines,” he added. It will be recalled that the former vice mayor announced his resignation on December 25, 2017, after he and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio were implicated as members of the so-called Davao Group which was reportedly behind the smuggling of P6.4-billion worth of shabu last May 2017. The shabu shipment came from China and arrived via the Manila International Container Port in Tondo, Manila last May 16 this year. Last month, the presidential son said he would file criminal and civil charges against Trillanes for viciously destroying his name, maligning his reputation and integrity, and for deliberately manufacturing lies and spreading black propaganda against him.
Paolo Duterte(KEITH BACONGCO/ Manila Bulletin File Photo) In a statement issued on Friday, the presidential son called Sison a “disgrace” to the country and a “pathological liar” for repeating an accusation propagated and thrown around by the staunch critics of the Duterte administration, particularly opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV whom he said is a “rabid anti-communist.” “Joma Sison’s accusation that my father and I are the biggest protectors of illegal drugs in the country confirms that the founder of the oldest terror group in Southeast Asia is completely losing it,” the former Davao City vice mayor said. Duterte added that Sison’s statement showed how much he was willing to take for the sake of public attention, propaganda, and significance. “It also showed the nature of his politics and principles — where it’s acceptable for enemies to sleep together in one bed, speak one language, and unify forces and work together until the common target is toppled down,” he said. He said the communist leader’s insanity would fail just like the bloody Maoist revolution in the Philippines. “And Mr. Sison and his organizations — the CPP-NDFP-NPA — will be remembered in history for their contribution in the revolution that victimized the oppressed, the poor, and ultimately, the growth and development of the Philippines,” he added. It will be recalled that the former vice mayor announced his resignation on December 25, 2017, after he and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio were implicated as members of the so-called Davao Group which was reportedly behind the smuggling of P6.4-billion worth of shabu last May 2017. The shabu shipment came from China and arrived via the Manila International Container Port in Tondo, Manila last May 16 this year. Last month, the presidential son said he would file criminal and civil charges against Trillanes for viciously destroying his name, maligning his reputation and integrity, and for deliberately manufacturing lies and spreading black propaganda against him.