President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to the communists not to block the COVID-19 vaccines that would be delivered to remote areas of the country.
Duterte said the Communist Party of the Philippines must ensure that vaccines are not intercepted.
“I am appealing to the Communist Party of the Philippines, ‘yung pinaka-umbrella, I don’t consider ‘yung mga NDF-NDF pati NPA. The Communist Party of the Philippines must guarantee that the vaccines in the course of their — being transported to areas where [there] are no city health officers or medical persons na huwag ninyong galawin ang medisina,” Duterte said.
Duterte said the NPA, NDF must follow the “rules of humanity” so that the people’s money is not wasted.
“As I have said, the money belongs to the Filipino people. The credit goes to no one. These are your Filipino people, this is your money … So it is only natural that you members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the allied, NPA, NDF or whatever, kindly observe the rules of humanity, ” he said.
Duterte worries that the communists may sabotage the delivery of the vaccine to remote areas as was done with the delivery of government aid during the lockdown last year.
Duterte to CPP: Do not sabotage delivery of vaccines
“Baka maulit kagaya itong mga pera, ‘yung mga Pantawid na pag-deliver ini-intercept ninyo,” said Duterte.
In April 2020, the Armed Forces of the Philippines reported that alleged members of NPA killed two soldiers securing DWSD cash aid distribution in Aurora province.
The troops from the Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion were securing the said area as the personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distribute the cash aid from the government’s Social Amelioration Program.
The Public Information Office of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division reported the NPA rebels opened fire at the soldiers who are on their way to Diaat in Aurora. The attack killed one soldier at the scene while the other died later at a hospital.
Duterte then warned that he might declare Martial Law if NPA rebels would continue to kill the government’s soldiers