Rody: Communism a dying ideology

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duerte said “there are no communists now” as communism is an ideology that has long been dead, and only simpletons think it is still very alive.

“I do not have to answer these simpletons. Wala nang komunista ngayon (There are no communists now). The Communist Party is just really for the control para hindi sasabog (so it would not be disorganized). There are billions of them,” Duterte said upon arrival at the Davao International Airport Thursday night after a state visit to Japan. 

Duterte is pushing for a final peace accord with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to resolve the decades-old conflict with leftist insurgents. 

The President said he is hoping that the government and the CPP would reach a final peace agreement once all the kinks in the peace talks would be ironed out. 

Duterte also claimed that the idea of commune living under communism was a propaganda of the Americans during the Cold War. 

“Pero kung sabihin mo na sa commune magtrabaho tayong lahat (but if you will say that in a commune all of us will work), those were the propaganda days of the Americans during the Cold War, I tell you. Hindi ganoon kalupit ang mga tao doon kasi kababayan at kadugo nila (The people there are not cruel because those are their countrymen and relatives),” he said.

Duterte also said that China and Russia are being tagged as the bastions of communism.

“Pumunta nga kami sa Russia. Anong sabi ng Russia? Eh tutulungan nga tayo. Magsabi ka lang Duterte kung ano, tutulungan ka namin kasi naaawa kami sa iyo. Komunista? Kaganda ng... kita mo ang yaman ng lahat doon... ang Lexus, taxi lang iyan doon. Lahat doon naka-sports car (We went to Russia. What did Russia say? They will help us. Just tell us Duterte what you need, we will help you because we pity you. Communist? The things there are beautiful…you see all are rich there…The Lexus is just a taxi there. All have sports cars there),” he added.

Duterte earlier said he met with Russian Prime Minister Dimitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the ASEAN Leaders Summit in Laos last September.

Duterte also signified his preference for Russian President Vladimir Putin when asked to choose between US presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.