President Duterte has called on the Maute Group to surrender or leave the country and bring their fight to the Middle East.
The President said he was even willing to shoulder the travel expenses of the Maute Group in their flight abroad just to end their hostilities in the South.
“50 lang kayo tapos maglaban kayo sa Armed Forces, kalokohan. Eh pumunta ka na lang doon sa Middle East,” the President said during the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao summit in Davao City last Thursday.
“Mamili ka anong eroplano Emirates? Sige, bigyan kita ng ticket. Sige, doon. Ano bang gawin mo dito? Distorbohin mo ang isang community? Then what after that? How about ‘yung namatay?,” he added.
Duterte questioned the motive of the Maute Group to affiliate with the Islamic State and bring trouble to local communities. He claimed there was no need to join the ISIS movement since he does not allow any oppression of Filipinos in the country.
“You are into believing something which is not really true. Kasi ‘yung kawsa nila hindi atin eh. I do not allow oppression in this country and I will never do it,” he said.
The President had warned the ISIS-linked Maute Group to stop their hostilities or face an all-out war from government forces. Duterte, who recently visited troops engaging the Maute Group in Lanao del Sur, expressed readiness to hold a peaceful dialogue with the rebel group to resolve the conflict.
Also in the speech before ARMM local executives, the President ruled out the declaration of Martial Law to address the terror threats in the country, saying it is a foolish idea that brought no good to the country in the past.
Instead of placing the country under Martial Law, the President raised the possibility of empowering local government executives to effectively address peace and order threats in their communities.
“Sinasabi nila Martial Law. Mag-Martial Law ako dito? Patayin ko lahat ng Maute (group) pati mga religious extremists? Then?” the President said.
“Kalokohan ‘yan. Nag-Martial Law na tayo noon. Ano nangyari? Gumaling ba ang buhay natin hanggang ngayon? Wala,” Duterte added. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
