UPDATED:
COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines (CPP) and Anakbayan-Southern Mindanao Region (SMR), have slammed Davao City First District Representative Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s recent remarks against the New People’s Army (NPA).
In a statement on June 11, 2025, CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena accused the congressman of attempting to “divert public outrage” over his father’s legacy, particularly the thousands of deaths linked to the controversial anti-drug campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who now faces trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
“Pulong Duterte’s mouth spews nothing but vile garbage, a foul stench meant to mask the Duterte family’s brutal and bloody history,” Valbuena said. He added that the younger Duterte has no moral authority to speak about violence, citing past allegations of abuse and misconduct involving him.
The CPP further claimed it is the former president, not the NPA, who is the true “terrorist,” pointing to the militarization and bombardment of rural communities under his administration.
The CPP urged the public to resist what it called a propaganda campaign to rewrite history, and instead to hold the Duterte family accountable for what it described as decades of violence, corruption, and impunity.
Anakbayan-SMR reiterated CPP’s statement, saying that Pulong’s statement is a diversionary tactic he is employing so that the people turn their focus on what he said instead of the worsening traffic conditions, flooding in Davao City, and wage increase for Dabawenyo workers. "Imbes na unahon ni Pulong ang mga ekonomikanhong isyu sa katawhang Dabawenyo, ginatabunan niya kini og bakak ug pagpangilad. Dili NPA ang tinuod nga isyu, para sa katawhan kini ang dapat tutukan: solusyonan ang nagkagrabeng baha ug trapik sa syudad, mga manininda nga gina-demolish, mga PUV Drayber nga nabalakang mawad-an og panginabuhian tungod sa pagduso sa Davao Bus Project, ug ang dili makabuhing suholan sa mga mamumuo,” Fauxhea Guiani, Anakbayan-SMR chair said.
(Instead of prioritizing the economic issues faced by the people of Davao, Pulong is covering them up with lies and deception. The NPA is not the real issue what the people believe should be focused on are these: addressing the worsening floods and traffic in the city, the vendors being demolished, PUV drivers who fear losing their livelihood because of the push for the Davao Bus Project, and the wages that are not enough to live on.)
Guiani added that Paolo has avoided accountability for controversies that are linked to his family, particularly in the case involving his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, and his alleged women abuses.
She said that Pulong has no right to pass the blame for his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s actions, to other organizations. She stated that during FPRRD’s presidency, about 30,000 Filipinos fell victim to the war on drugs, two-year Martial Law that was declared in Mindanao that led to 702 targeted killings, 1,405 victims of illegal arrest, 348,081 individuals documented to be affected by aerial bombings in communities, and 423,538 cases of forced displacement.
She called on the public to look beyond the state propaganda and examine the root cause of the unrest. She said that if the goal is to protect the people, then the government should address the root cause of the armed struggle, which is poverty, lack of land, livelihood, housing, education, and rights.
Their remarks came in response to Rep. Duterte’s June 9 statement urging victims of NPA atrocities and drug addiction to speak out and support what he described as his father’s legacy of peace and order. He labeled the NPA as a terrorist group responsible for the deaths and displacement of thousands — including soldiers, police, educators, farmers, and youth, accusing them of sowing fear, extorting communities, and derailing development.
“It’s time to speak up. It’s time to expose the cruelty and deception of these criminal and rebel groups,” he said. DEF, RGP
(Editor's note: Anakbayan-SMR was associated to the CPP in the old article.)