By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Saying that the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA is collectively a “spent force”, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has rejected ceasefire with the Maoist rebels this Christmas.

On Friday (Dec 22), Lacson said in a statement that the government should not lose steam by giving the Maoists an opportunity to recoup their losses.

“The CPP/NPA is almost a spent force – thanks to the efforts of former President Rodrigo Duterte and the security forces during his term as president,” Lacson noted.

Earlier, Vice President Sara Duterte thumbed down any form of peace talks with the CPP-NPA.

She once again described the recent agreement between the Marcos Jr. administration and communist groups as an “agreement with the devil.”

For his part, Lacson — who once served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief — said the government should instead pound hard on the communists whose agenda is to overthrow the state.

“We should not squander those gains by giving them – already designated as a terrorist group – another breathing space to regroup and reconsolidate their strength to fight and overthrow the duly constituted authority which is their ONLY agenda in the first place,” Lacson stressed.

However, he said the Maoist rebels should still be allowed to surrender “peacefully and unconditionally” if they decide to give up their armed struggle.

The CPP, founded by the late Jose Ma. Sison 55 years ago, has been waging their “protracted people’s war” copied from the revolutionary playbook of Mao Zedong in China.

(IAmigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

“SHAMELESS” was how former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson described those policemen who reportedly moonlight as escorts for Chinese Philippine Offshore Gaming (POGO) operators.

Lacson — who is believed to run again for senator in 2025 after he lost his presidential bid in 2022 — earlier posted on X (formerly Twitter) that motorcycle cops were clearing the way for the passage of POGOs’ luxury cars through heavy traffic.

“The PNP should look into reports that some policemen moonlight as escorts of Chinese POGO operators,” Lacson said.

As a reaction, the PNP-Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) said they are looking into Lacson’s revelation that policemen were serving as escorts for Chinese POGOs.

“This may explain why even during office hours, too many luxury vehicles zigzag through heavy traffic while motorcycle cops push motorists away to clear their passage. Shameless!” Lacson blurted out.

The PNP-HPG has appealed to the public to report police personnel who are serving as POGO escorts.

To ascertain the report’s veracity, the public is also advised to give the plate number of the concerned vehicle so authorities can check if the escort service is legitimate or not.  (ai/mnm)