THE Palace reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte is keen on pursuing legal remedies for the arrest of legal fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for "conspiracy to commit rebellion."
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said during a press briefing at the Annex Building, Presidential Guesthouse in Panacan, Davao City, that President Duterte plans to go after those giving assistance to the communists.
"Well he said that he will order the arrest eventually and there's no other way to interpret it other than he wanted them charged," Roque said.
"The basis for charging them of course is conspiracy it's either conspiracy to commit prohibited acts under Union Security Act which is a crime already punishable by the revised Penal Code," he said, which will include rebellion.
"Plus additional element of seeking to sow terror or panic to the minds of the general public or conspiracy to commit rebellion," he added.
Duterte told soldiers last November 22 at Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija that he will treat these legal fronts as outlawed organization because they are helping the communists to topple the government.
"We will treat you as criminals. We will arrest you, including legal fronts. [The] Legal fronts helping to topple government and sow terror," Duterte said in a speech before the troops.
He likewise earlier said that he will declare the New People's Army as a terrorist group because of the series of atrocities that it has been committing.