In his tired, but nonetheless bellicose speech yesterday, Duterte ordered the AFP to “don’t mind human rights” and “kill, kill” the armed fighters of the NPA.

To this we declare to Duterte: you will fail. Because of the economic crisis and government bankruptcy resulting from your anti-people policies and corruption, and all the hardships, the terror and armed oppression you have imposed on the people, you have only succeeded in inciting more and more people to fight back and join the NPA.

As the AFP continues to buy more helicopters, airplanes, drones and bombs, more money is taken away from the people’s health, education, social and economic needs. The AFP will continue to be militarily superior to the NPA, but it will remain politically inferior in terms of people’s support.

Duterte’s promises of homes, jobs and food are all empty talk. You are blind not to see how millions of Filipinos remain homeless, jobless and hungry. The military’s “barangay development” is bound to fail to bring genuine change to the lives of the downtrodden peasant masses.

Duterte’s orders to “kill, kill, kill” and “don’t mind human rights” instigates the military and police to commit more abuses and crimes against the people. The masses are being terrorized and suffering grave injustices. The people demand an end to the brutal and dirty war of the AFP.

We are confident that even by the end of Duterte’s term or life, the AFP’s plans of crushing the NPA will be unrealized. With the boundless support of the people, the NPA will continue to recruit new members, help the masses in their struggles, defend them against the state terrorists, overcome the AFP’s offensives and advance the people’s armed resistance.

The people’s war will persevere long beyond Duterte until the people’s desire for national freedom and social liberation is satisfied.