Terror tag on communists to stay for now - Duterte

MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte won't lift the proclamation declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People's Army as terrorist groups yet even if he is willing to resume talks with the rebels.

Last December, Duterte issued Proclamation No. 374, declaring the CPP and its armed wing the NPA as terrorist organizations, and lambasted them for staging attacks that harmed civilians and for extorting money from businesses.

The president issued the proclamation days after scrapping the talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which represented the CPP and the NPA in negotiations with the government. A Department of Justice seeking a formal declaration of more than 600 supposed communists - the list includes human rights defenders and a UN special rapporteur as terrorists is pending in a Manila court.

Duterte, however, again changed his tune earlier this month, saying he is still open to talking peace with them and offering to shoulder the expenses of rebels who will join the negotiations.

Asked in a press conference Sunday if he would lift Proclamation 374, the president replied: "Not yet."

Pressed if he is violating the rule that the government should not negotiate with terrorists, Duterte said: "Look, I cannot fight forever with my own countrymen. I am not a soldier. I am not a policeman. I am just a worker of government tasked to make it easy for everybody."

"I said I will try to make your life comfortable. I did not say, a life that is luxurious. I want Filipinos to be comfortable. I would save lives. Filipinos against government because you cannot expect our people in unison to toe the line," he added.