Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has refused to weigh in on the ruling of the Manila Regional Trial Court’s junking the petition filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army as a terrorist group.

But Go said he personally believes any individual or group who terrorizes the people may be deemed as terrorist or a terrorist group.

"No comment muna ako ukol diyan sa bagay na ‘yan. Unang-una nasa korte naman po s’ya. So ayoko munang magbigay ng komento. Gaya ng sinabi n’yo pag-aaralan po ito ng mga abogado ng gobyerno kung ano po ang kanilang magiging sagot tungkol dito. Pero for the meantime, no comment muna ako (I won’t comment for the meantime. In the first place, it’s up to the courts. Si I don’t want to comment first. But as I said, state lawyers are still studying on their next course of action. But for the meantime, I won’t comment),” Go said in an interview on Thursday, September 22.

But as far as he is concerned, Go asserted that any individual or group who terrorizes the populace may be deemed a terrorist.

“Ako naman, kapag naghasik ka ng lagim, so mako-consider ka nang terorista. Ibig sabihin, kung iba na ang ipinaglalaban mo ay maku-consider ka pong terorista (On my part, if you sow terror, then you can be considered a terrorist. It means you already fighting a different cause, you can be considered a terrorist),” he said.

"Kung lagim na po ang inuuna mo, pananakit, pagpatay, paghasik ng lagim terorista ka talaga. ‘Yun po ang aking, (If your priority is to sow terror, to harm people, to kill, then you are a terrorist. That’s my) personal opinion about being tagged as terrorist,” he added.

Nevertheless, Go said he recognizes the repercussions of rebellion on society and urged Filipinos, especially rebel group members, to embrace unity rather than committing acts of violence against one another.

“Nasasaktan po kami ‘pag nauulila ang mga sundalo, maliliit pa ang kanilang mga anak, naiiwan wala nang ama (It’s painful to see soldiers, who still have young kids, left behind without their father),” he pointed out.

“Kapag ang rebelde naman po ang namamatay, Pilipino rin po ang mga ‘yan, may mga anak rin po ‘yan. Kaya nasasaktan po ako kung ang Pilipino kapwa Pilipino ang nagpapatayan (If rebels are killed, they are still considered Filipinos and they also have children. That’s why it’s hard to see Filipinos killing fellow Filipinos),” said Go.

“Hindi po ako nawawalan ng pag-asa, ang akin po dito sincerity at kunin po ang tiwala sa isa't isa. So, sana po ay just be sincere (I am still hopeful, for me, sincerity is more important. So I hope let’s just be sincere),” he stressed.

That is why, Go said he supports moves to institutionalize the government’s National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), saying it has been effective in addressing local insurgency and in restoring peace in conflict-riddled areas in the country.

“Pero nasa present administration na po ‘yan kung sasang-ayon po sila. Ako naman po, naging effective naman po ito (But it is up to the present administration if they would agree to that. On my part, it was an effective tool against insurgency),” he reiterated.