Duterte tells Joma: Commit suicide

Jose Maria Sison (left), founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, was a professor of President Rodrigo Duterte in college. (File photos from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday told Jose Ma. Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, to commit suicide as a favor to the Norwegian government.

The 78-year old Sison, who fled to Europe soon after peace talks failed in 1987, has been staying The Netherlands while the communist insurgency in the Philippines continued.

Norway is the third-party facilitator between the talks, currently suspended, between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which has Sison as chief political adviser.

“Sison, tumanda ka na lang diyan. Ayaw mo pa aminin na may sakit ka. Maawa ka naman sa Norwegian government. Pakamatay ka na lang,” Duterte said during the ceremonial turnover of financial assistance to the families of government troopers and police officers killed in the Marawi City siege.

(“Sison, you’re just getting old there. You still don’t want to admit that you’re sick. Have pity on the Norwegian government. Just kill yourself.”)

“Kaya nga pinapaalis na kayo sa Norway,” Duterte added. “Alam mo, ’yung Norway, ‘yung partido ngayon na humawak ng gobyerno, matatalo. Ang issue dahil sa gastos na pinatira kayo doon at ’yung ospital mo, wala kang bayad-bayad. Maawa ka naman sa Norwegian government. Magpakamatay ka na lang.”

(“That’s why you’re being asked to leave Norway. You know, in Norway, the party who controls the government now will lose. The issue is because of the expense of letting you live there. And you’re not even paying for your hospital bills. Have pity on the Norwegian government. Just kill yourself.”)

In his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, Duterte said Sison, who was a professor of his back in college, had a colon cancer, which Sison denied.

Also on Monday, Duterte told the military to be “unforgiving” to communist rebels, who continued to attack government forces.

“I’m ordering the military and the police to be unforgiving to the communist rebels as they are very unforgiving to us,” Duterte said.

Asked whether his decision to end peace talks with the communist rebels was final, Duterte said: “Yes.” /atm