The "revolutionary taxation" and other atrocities committed by communist rebels have convinced President Duterte to brand them as terrorists, according to a Palace official.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque has deplored that the communist group has resorted to violence to advance its cause instead of shifting to a parliamentary struggle.
"Well, alam naman po natin ang nangyayari ‘no. Sa panahon ng COVID wala pong tigil ang pag-atake nila lalo na doon sa mga sundalo na binabantayan lang naman iyong mga tao na nagbibigay-ayuda sa taumbayan. (Well we know what is happening. In the time of COVID, they have not stopped attacking our soldiers who are just guarding the people distributing relief to communities)," he said during a televised briefing when asked about the President's basis for the statement.
"Patuloy po ang kanilang pagta-tax sa mga negosyante na hindi naman po dapat at patuloy din ang pagta-target din nila sa mga sibilyan. (They continue to impose taxes on business even though they should not. They also continue target civilians)," he added.
In his taped public address early Wednesday, President Duterte branded communists as among the terrorists in the country, days after signing the Anti-terrorism law. Duterte explained that he tried to forge a peaceful solution to the communist insurgency, insisting he did not want to go to war. The peace talks between the government and the rebels however bogged down three years ago.
Roque, in his remarks Thursday, said the revolutionary struggle of the communists is "laos" or obsolete.
"Mayroon namang parliamentary struggle, puwede namang mag-halal, bakit hindi nila gamitin ang parliamentary struggle? Bakit kinakailangang gumamit pa ng dahas? (There is parliamentary struggle, they can be elected. Why don't they use the parliamentary struggle. Why do they need to use violence?)," he said.
"'Yung paggagamit po ng dahas, iyan po ang nagiging dahilan kung bakit sila po ay terorista (The use of violence is a reason why they are terrorists)," he added.
Under Proclamation No. 374 issued in 2017, the President declared the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as a terrorist organization. The President invoked Republic Act No. 10168 also known as "The Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012" in tagging the group as terrorists.