MARIT STINUS-CABUGON
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s invitation to hundreds of Mindanao-based former members and supporters of the communist New People’s Army to dine with him in Malacañang and tour Manila drew mixed reactions, depending on which side of the political spectrum one belongs. The president’s invitation follows the government’s intensification of military operations against the NPA and the subsequent wave of NPA fighters and supporters surrendering and pledging allegiance to the Philippine flag. Media spectacle and propaganda offensive, scoffed the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and warned that Mr. Duterte was becoming the NPA’s No. 1 recruiter.