The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemns in the strongest terms possible the brazen murder of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randy Felix P. Malayao early morning today in Nueva Vizcaya. He was gunned down while asleep aboard a bus in Barangay Darapidap, Aritao municipality.

The CPP holds the US-Duterte regime and its armed agents responsible for the murder of Malayao. Duterte himself has repeatedly gone public in ordering his death squads to go after revolutionaries and supporters of the revolutionary movement.

The Filipino people are outraged over the murder of Malayao who offered most of his years, in their struggle for land, wages and other rights. He served as NDFP consultant on political and constitutional reforms, and took pride in broadcasting and pursuing the revolution’s program for the Filipino people to attain national liberation and genuine democracy.

The Malayao murder as well as the illegal arrests of NDFP peace consultants Adelberto Silva, Vic Ladlad and Rey Casambre, and others, displays the Duterte regime’s total contempt for the JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees) and disdain for peace negotiations with the NDFP.

Duterte is a war president who despises serious negotiation to resolve the roots of armed conflict. With Malayao’s murder, he has gone the extent of unleashing his death squads against those who have been actively pushing for just peace. He is obsessed in waging total war against the people: dropping bombs and imposing food blockades on peasant and Lumad villages, terrorizing thousands of barangays with Army so-called “peace and development” operations, killing activists, or slapping them with trumped up charges to cause their prolonged detention. He has imposed de facto martial law across the country.

In the face of Duterte’s all-out war, the Filipino people and their revolutionary forces stand uncowed and vow to persevere in waging all forms of resistance to oust the puppet, corrupt and fascist Duterte regime. The New People’s Army is determined to wage armed struggle and deal increasingly bigger blows against the AFP and Duterte’s assassination squads.

The CPP condoles with the family, friends and colleagues of Randy Malayao. The revolutionary forces vow to carry out all efforts to attain justice for Malayao and all victims of the fascist criminal Duterte regime.