MANILA Mayor and Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso yesterday said if elected as the country’s next president in the May 9 elections, he is open to dropping the terror tags against the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, provided they engage in peace talks with government.
Moreno made the remarks when asked if he is willing to remove the terrorist tag against the NDF-CPP-NPA as a confidence-building measure that will pave the way for the resumption of peace talks under a Moreno administration.
“The terrorist tag is done by the United States and the Philippine government. Basta ako ‘yung peace talks we must seek it as much as possible not only with the CPP-NPA but also to those other armed groups” Moreno told reporters.
“In the meantime, if they are willing to talk and if they want a peaceful way of living, karapatan ng mga kapwa rin nating Pilipino na makapamuhay nang panatag at payapa (It’s the right of Filipinos to live peacefully). Nowadays, it’s hard to find peace, sometimes a very expensive word but we must seek long and just peace in our country because every Filipino deserves it,” he added.
Moreno cited the success of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) due to the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as a possible inspiration for other armed groups such as the CPP-NPA to forge a lasting peace with the government.
Moreno was an “official observer” during the peace talks between the Duterte administration and the communists.
Moreno said one of the ways for the peace talks to succeed is to ensure social programs and equal opportunity to the people that can be provided by the government.
“If we can do that to BARMM, to our fellow Moros in Mindanao, we can do it to any group of individuals who have resorted to armed struggle against the state. We must have an open mind and ears to try to listen to them and if they’re reasonable, why not?” he added.
To recall, the United States in 2002 designated the CPP-NPA as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and to date continues to include the movement and its armed wing in its list of FTOs.
Moreno’s chief campaign strategist, Lito Banayo, appealed to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez to order his department to collect the P203 billion estate tax liabilities of the Marcos family.
In a press briefing, Banayo said the government should collect the tax liabilities of the heirs of the estate of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., considering that even President Duterte has repeatedly said the government finds it hard to get enough funds to provide assistance to those in the transport sector affected by the skyrocketing oil prices in recent weeks and the 4.2 million Filipinos who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the 4.2 million Filipinos who were jobless during pandemic can each get P48,833.33 if the P203 billion in Marcos estate tax debt were collected and used as aid.
The Court of Appeals in 1994 held that the deficiency assessments for “estate and income tax made upon the petitioner and the estate of the deceased President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. have already become final and unappealable.” The Supreme Court in a ruling in 1997 denied the appeal of Marcos Jr. seeking to reverse the appellate court’s ruling.
The amount that the Marcoses owed then was P23 billion but it has ballooned to P203 billion.
