Joma: ‘I am alive and healthy’
National Democratic Front of the Philippines chief political consultant denied rumors of his death, saying he is healthy despite suffering from arthritis.
Replying to social media posts about his alleged death, Sison on Tuesday said, “I am still alive. And I am celebrating my birthday today.”
The Communist Party of the Philippines founder turned 83 on Tuesday, February 8.
Sison said those spreading the rumors that he is dead are liars.
Presidential communications undersecretary and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy was among those who said Sison has died in a public Facebook post.
Badoy celebrated Sison’s supposed death, revealing it is a NTF-ELCAC wish for such to happen during the Rodrigo Duterte presidency.
“Biro n’yo, na-deds si Joma bago matapos ang termino ni PRRD. Eh si PRRD kaya ang chair ng NTF ELCAC. Ang laki naming kunsumisyon kay Joma,” Badoy wrote.
(Isn’t that something, Joma has died before PRRD’s [President Rodrigo Roa Duterte] term ends. Joma had been a big thorn on our side.)
Badoy added they have a strategy to cause Joma’s death.
“Strategy namin para ikamatay nya. LOL [laugh out loud]!” she said, without giving details.
Sison said in his statement however he remains healthy and is in fact preparing to deliver online lectures on fascism before and after World War II and the May 2022 elections in the Philippines.
He added that he is also set to introduce a film by Spanish filmmaker Paloma Polo’s El Barro de la Revolucion about the people’s war in the Philippines.
“I have no life-threatening illness, only some inflammations on the legs due to rheumatoid arthritis the other day and yesterday. These go away in only 2 to 4 days after medication,” Sison said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
