President Duterte skipped the 155th birth anniversary celebration of revolutionary Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan City Friday.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte was represented by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
Panelo said the President had to skip the event to address the “insurgency” in Mindanao. “ES will attend instead of PRRD. He has to fly to Mindanao to attend the problem of insurgency in Mindanao,” Panelo said.
The President was set to lead the wreath-laying ceremony at the Bonifacio Monument.
Duterte’s decision to skip the Bonifacio Day rites came following reports of the arrest of former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo and ACT Teacher’s party-list Rep. France Castro for alleged trafficking of children in Davao del Norte Wednesday.
Malacañang has yet to confirm or deny if Duterte’s sudden plan to go to Mindanao is related to the arrest and Ocampo and Castro.
In his State-of-the-Nation Address last year, Duterte slammed communists for allegedly teaching students to rebel against the government, causing him to threaten to bomb Lumad schools.
He mentioned bombing Lumad schools in his SoNA as he discussed the conflict between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.
The President later clarified that he will not kill the children and just wants to spare them from perdition caused by the Left.
Duterte also said that some Lumad schools are operating to produce a new generation of haters who will go against the government.
“Sisirain ko ‘yan kasi ginagamit ninyong eskwelahan para to destroy the mental attitude, the mental health of the children,” he said. “They grow up there hating government and going to war pag ka malaki na. You are perpetuating the violence in this country and I have every reason to stop it because you are producing another generation of haters.” (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)