In line with its intensified attacks against the people and revolutionary movement, the Duterte regime has intensified fascist propaganda against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA) and all revolutionary forces, as well as legal democratic forces.

The regime’s fascist propaganda drive seeks to prepare and shape public opinion to justify its suppression of the toiling masses’ legitimate struggles. This campaign particularly aims to depict the CPP and NPA as “terrorist organizations.” Open and legal progressive institutions and mass organizations are brazenly tagged as “communist fronts.”

Among the salient features of this campaign are as follows: churning out fake news of AFP-NPA encounters to cover-up widespread incidents of murder of peasants, who are then reported as NPA members; accusing Lumad schools as “NPA training schools” to stop their operations; parading civilians as NPA surrenderees; coercion by the AFP of local government units to issue “persona non grata” resolutions against the NPA; etc.

The AFP directly subsumed local government units from barangay to provincial levels in an attempt to deny the revolutionary movement its mass bases. Almost everyday, Duterte and his henchmen are peddling lies and slanderous statements against the CPP, NPA and all revolutionary forces. The AFP is utilizing both traditional and social media as platforms for its propaganda, while controlling the flow of information from areas that are being attacked by its troops. It also subjects journalists to threats and harassment to prevent them from exposing the abuses perpetrated by the military and police.

The AFP is also utilizing sustained peace and development operations (PDT or COPDs) to sow disinformation and threaten the people, and to stifle their struggles and make them passive.