In his latest attempts to impose his tyrannical rule, Rodrigo Duterte does nothing but dig a deeper grave for his regime.

Duterte with his henchmen in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) whitewashed the bloody massacre of nine farm workers in Sagay City by blaming the crime on the New People’s Army (NPA) consequently denying justice to the victims. The mass slaughter is heartlessly exploited as ground to further terrorize the legitimate cause of farmers, workers and urban poor threatening to shoot at any resistance, and launch an “all out war” against the NPA in Negros Island.

Ignoring the Filipinos’ uproar on skyrocketing prices of basic needs and many other clamors on poverty and hunger, Duterte instead pursues his aimless wars against the people. Recently, Palace Spokesman Salvador Panelo announced the creation of an Anti-NPA Task Force and its continuing efforts on bogus localized peace talks.

The Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of the NPA in Negros Island is ever determined to face the US-designed Oplan Kapayapaan. AFP Chief Carlito Galvez’ announcement of an “all-out war” in Negros only raises the resoluteness of the NPA in the Island to strengthen itself through fighting and frustrating the enemy’s military campaign. It has also been consistent with all NPA Commands nationwide in rejecting this localized peace talks trickery.

Col. Benedict Arevalo, new 303rd Brigade commander, is the fool in believing that the AFP, specifically the 303rd Brigade, its battalions and paramilitary forces, enjoy the confidence of the Negrosanons. On the contrary, the people especially the poor peasants in the barrios despise them and are increasingly resolving to confront the fascists by joining the NPA.

The US-Duterte regime is precariously being isolated from the Filipino people each day. Its overthrow becomes more imminent the more it obsesses to impose a fascist dictatorship in the whole country and the more it heartlessly burdens the people. ###