By Genalyn Kabiling President Duterte has floated the possibility of looking into the bank accounts allegedly used by communist rebels to accept "revolutionary taxes" from companies. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte holds a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on June 22, 2020. ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO The President said the government has monitored the movement of a lot of money in alleged communist-linked bank deposits, believing that "all" private corporations in Mindanao have "contributed" money to the rebel group. "Alam namin na hindi ‘yan transaction doon na magbigay ng pera doon sa bukid tapos tanggapin ninyo. Ang pera dito hinuhulog sa Maynila. Sa bank account ng NDF (National Democratic Front), of course, under a fictitious name (We know it's not a transaction where money is given out in the farmland and you accept them. The money is deposited in Manila, in the bank account of NDF of course under a fictitious name)," Duterte said in a televised address Monday. "Well, all of these things, I said, I hope that I will not have to do something more drastic. Like just really looking at your bank accounts," he said. The President also admitted that the communist rebels pose a threat to national security more than the Abu Sayyaf Group. Duterte, who has deplored torture and other atrocities committed against government troops, considered the communist rebels as the "high value targets" that must be neutralized by the military. He remains hopeful that the conflict with the communist insurgents won't end in bloodshed. "Ang akin kasi kaibigan tayo. Ang gusto kong sabihin sa inyo, huwag na sana tayong umabot that I have to kill you kung wala nang iba (I consider you my friends and I want to tell you that I hope we won't reach the point that I have to kill you if there is no other option)," he said. "When I say patayin kita, hindi man ako ang papatay, lahat tayo mag-patayan, including me (When I say 'I will kill you,' I'm not the one who will do it. We all kill each other including me)," he said. In November, 2017, President Duterte issued a proclamation declaring the termination of peace negotiations with the communist rebel group. The proclamation stated that despite the government's best efforts, the communist group failed to show sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine peace talks amid its involvement in acts of violence and hostilities that endanger the lives and properties of innocent people. Duterte previously offered to resume the talks if the rebels will declare a ceasefire and stop extorting money. He later expressed reluctance to revive the peace negotiations after rebels attacked troops, including those involved in relief operations during the coronavirus pandemic.