By ARGYLL CYRUSGEDUCOS
PRESIDENT Duterte belittled anew the condition of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Joma Sison and threats of the New People’s Army (NPA), saying Filipino soldiers will die waiting for Sison to try and fight him.
Duterte made the statement days after Sison claimed on Monday that the President fell into a coma, an allegation immediately disproved by Duterte himself the same day.
In his speech in Davao City, Duterte reiterated that Sison is not able to conquer a barangay, what more the entire country.
“‘Di man pud ninyo matumba nang gobyerno. Di gani mo makagunit og usa ka barangay y*** (You can’t topple the government. You can’t even lead a single barangay),” Duterte said Thursday evening.
“Mosukol mo nako? Tan-awa na akong army o way gibuhat, gahuwat lang og … Gusto man na nila’g giyera. Kay og di sila mang-giyera, mangamatay man pud sa luya (Are you going to fight me? Look at my army, doing nothing but wait for… They want war because if there is none, they’ll die of boredom),” he added.
“Mugawas ilang arthritis, ilang gout, mag-kiang-kiang na (They will get sick with arthritis, gout, and start to walk with a limp). Pero ang karamihan sundalo ko pati pulis ang — especially sundalo (But for most of the police and soldiers), it’s the abdominal — it’s either hepatitis, cirrhosis” he continued.
Duterte then said that the NPA is also experiencing the sickness he mentioned.
“Pareho pud kamo, inyong sakit pareho sa sundalo. Ah adto ngadto manglungkab og kaldero nga dili ila. Kung sa gagmay sige’g pangayo, unya ang di pa gani ang uban mo-share, patyon ninyo (You have illnesses similar with the soldiers because you go there and eat food from pots that are not yours. You extort from the small people and if they refuse to share, you kill them),” he said.
The President then urged members of the NPA who surrendered to the government to return to the mountains and convince others that the country has improved.
“Pabalikon ta mo’g balik ugma sa bukid. Ingna nang mga kauban niyo. Unsa pa ba’y inyong gusto? Naa na man ang progreso (I will let you go back to the mountains tomorrow. Tell your comrades. Ask them what else they need because progress is already here),” Duterte said.
“Adtua nang inyong mga kauban, ayaw mo sige’g lingkod-lingkod diha. Balika ngadto. Ingna kanaog namo diri kay mag-istorya mo ni Duterte (Do not just sit there, go back and tell your comrades to come down so you can talk to Duterte),” he added.
He also told them to not believe in Sison anymore as he speaks nonsense instead of an ideology.
“Ang tawo nga mag sige’g pangayo ug mopatay, mosaka kaha ka sa kinabuhi? Pangutana to, wa’y gaba (Do you think that a person who always extorts and kills will improve their lot in life? Is there no karma)?” he added.
Duterte also said that the NPA should help the government instead of believing Sison’s words. He reiterated his offer to give them housing and jobs.