Communists have infiltrated Philippine Congress: Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte is alleging that communist insurgents waging a decades-old insurgency have gained a foothold in the Philippine Congress through representation by leftist groups.

Several left-leaning organizations are fronts for the rebels waging a decades-old insurgency and have gained seats in the House of Representatives, the Philippine leader said during his weekly “talk to the nation” address late Tuesday.

“You know, it is true. They have infiltrated Congress. No doubt about it. They have used the party-list [system in the electoral process],” Duterte said, according to a transcript released to the press Wednesday.

“The problem here is that they are supporting [the communist movement] or acting as legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines,” he said.

Duterte named at least five organizations that have won congressional seats as sector representatives, including the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), the women’s rights groups Gabriela, and the nationalist group Bayan Muna.

Carlos Zarate, who represents Bayan Muna in Congress, hit back at the president, saying Duterte had presented no credible evidence against the nationalist bloc, “except for innuendo and hearsay coming from perjured witnesses.”

“The real intent of this attack is to immobilize us,” he said.

Full story: BenarNews

Jojo Riñoza and Froilan Gallardo
Manila