The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will launch an all-out war against the New People’s Army (NPA), the country’s defense chief said on Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the NPA remains a “security threat,” saying that state forces will “hunt them down.”

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“Yes, it’s an all-out war. Ano ba ang pinagkakaiba nila sa Abu Sayyaf (How different are they from the Abu Sayyaf)? They are there to terrorize people to get money. That’s extortion; we will hunt them down,” Lorenzana told reporters in a Palace brieifing.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte tagged the communist group as “terrorist,” saying he no longer believed they were a rebel organization.

READ: Duterte orders arrest of NDF men, calls CPP-NPA a terrorist group

“From now on, I will consider the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army—National Democratic Front) a terrorist group,” Duterte said.

The President earlier lifted the unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels and terminated the peace talks. IDL/rga

READ: Be ready to fight’: Duterte ends ceasefire with CPP-NPA

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