Sara Duterte claims government infiltrated by insurgents

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February 24, 2025 | 6:02pm

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte claimed that "agents of insurgency" have infiltrated the Philippine government in a statement that was ostensibly a message celebrating a military victory against the New People's Army.  

In a message that began with congratulating soldiers for the killing of a ranking NPA leader, Duterte veered from praising military achievements to warning about supposed insurgent agents "who are now part of our bureaucracy," allegedly working to spread communist ideology from within.   

"Isang pagpupugay para sa mga kasapi ng 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division ng Cagayan de Oro at 901st (Fight 'Em) Brigade ng Surigao del Norte sa Hukbong Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas sa tagumpay ng inyong operasyon sa pagtugis sa lider ng teroristang New People's Army na si Myrna Sularte alyas 'Ka Maria Malaya'," Duterte said in a statement on Monday, February 24. 

(A salute to the members of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division in Cagayan de Oro and the 901st (Fight 'Em) Brigade in Surigao del Norte of the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the success of your operation in pursuing the leader of the terrorist New People's Army, Myrna Sularte, alias 'Ka Maria Malaya.')

The vice president then described Sularte as a longtime "scourge" to Filipinos, especially in Mindanao.  

"Ang kanyang katapusan sa kamay ng ating mga magigiting na sundalo ay simula ng panibagong yugto para sa mga komunidad na dumanas ng kalupitan ng CPP-NPA-NDF," Duterte said. 

(Her demise at the hands of our brave soldiers marks the beginning of a new chapter for communities that have suffered under the brutality of the CPP-NPA-NDF.)

Duterte then mentions her claim about insurgent infiltration in government: "Sa kabila nito, nagpapatuloy ang banta ng terorismo sa atin sa pamamagitan ng mga ahente ng insurhensiya na ngayon ay bahagi ng ating burukrasya."

(Despite this, the threat of terrorism persists through insurgency agents who are now part of our bureaucracy. 

Without naming names, Duterte alleged that certain officials were spreading the ideology of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and engaging in propaganda against their political opponents.

Philstar.com has reached out to the Office of the Vice President for clarification and will update this article with their response. 

"Agresibo sila sa pagpapalaganap ng baluktot na aydolohiya ng CPP-NPA-NDF kasabay ng mga propaganda laban sa mga hadlang sa kanilang layunin," the vice president added.

(They are aggressively spread the distorted ideology of the CPP-NPA-NDF alongside propaganda against those who stand in their way.) 

Duterte's statement comes over a week after the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced that Sularte was killed in an armed encounter with the 30th Infantry Battalion on February 12. 

Military officials identified Sularte as a key figure in the hierarchy of the CPP and its armed wing, the NPA, who oversaw operations in the Caraga and Eastern Visayas regions.  

Similar rhetoric

Duterte's unsubstantiated claims about communist infiltration in the government echo similar rhetoric used during her father's presidency. Former President Rodrigo Duterte terminated peace negotiations with communist rebels in 2017 and was known for making unproven accusations linking various groups and individuals to the insurgency. 

The vice president resigned as secretary of the Department of Education and stepped down from other Cabinet posts in June 2024 — a move that cemented her breakaway from the Marcos administration. 

RELATED: VP Duterte’s ‘red-tagging’ of teacher group reported to ILO

The Marcos administration announced in 2023 that it had returned to the negotiating table for peace talks with the NDFP. But a series of arrests of peace consultants in the past year and lack of progress on the actual formal negotiations have doused hopes for the long-sought peace deal. 

Who was Sularte? 

In a statement sent to the media, the CPP said Sularte "served as the face of the National Democratic Front in Northeast Mindanao."

The party paid tribute to the slain NPA leader's life of "selfless service." 

"She grew up in relative comfort having come from a middle-middle peasant family and successfully completing a college course on agrotechnology. She, however, chose the path of simple living and difficult struggle dedicated to the oppressed and exploited masses," it added.

The CPP also clarified that it had a succession system in place and "no dearth in veteran and young cadres who are more than capable of picking up the mantel of Ka Maria’s leadership and carrying forward her legacy." 

AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner has tagged Sularte's death as a major milestone for the military as it essentially opens a leadership vacuum in the NPA.

Over five decades of hostilities between the government and the NPA — the longest-running active rebellion in Asia — have resulted in an estimated 40,000 deaths, including civilians.