No compromise with rebels

BY GENALYN KABILING

No compromise will be forged with the terrorists and communist insurgents since they continue to disrupt public order and take advantage of the pandemic, President Duterte said during a recent visit to Sulu.

The President specifically expressed anger towards the local communist group for its atrocities, adding that its leader, Jose Maria Sison, is no longer welcome in the country.

“Kaya ‘yan si Sison, noon sabi ko, “Mag-uwi ka.’ (In the past, I told Sison to go home). Ngayon, I’m not in the mood of welcoming him home,” the commander-in-chief said before an assembly of soldiers in Jolo, Sulu Friday.

Duterte previously urged Sison to come home and help revive the peace negotiations. He offered safe passage for the communist leader out of the country if their talks do not prosper. Sison is currently living in exile in the Netherlands.

Peace talks with the communist rebels was terminated by the government in 2017 after Duterte condemned the rebel atrocities against government troops. Last December, the anti-terrorism council formally designated Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed New People’s Army (NPA) as terrorist organizations.

In the same Sulu speech, the President said he hopes the terrorist groups would be eliminated “for good.”

He bewailed that the country’s progress has been long been hindered by insurgency and terrorism.

“To this day, terrorism and insurgency continue to plague our land, disrupting public order in the middle of a pandemic. They are taking advantage of the situation,” he said.

Duterte likewise denounced the local communist rebels for its trail of death and destruction.

“Para sa mga NPA, talagang galit ako diyan sa kanila. Galit na galit talaga ako. Marami na ‘yan silang pinatay. Ang half brother ng tatay ko, kumain sila sa bahay, pagkatapos binaril pa sa bunganga (I’m really angry with the NPA. They killed many people. Even the half-brother of my father who was eating at home was shot in the mouth),” he said.

Duterte recalled that his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, then a teenager, saw the dead body of their relative when they visited. He said Mayor Sara, now a colonel in the military reserve force, is expected to be more intense in the fight against the communist rebels.

“Kaya ‘yan si Inday kasi noong nagpunta kami doon sa bahay, she was about 14? 15? Or 16? Basta hindi – about 16. Nakita niya ‘yung patay eh, naka ganoon. May mga pagkain. Brutal masyado. Kakain ka tapos patayin mo. Kaya galit talaga ako sa mga p***** i**** ‘yan,” he said.

As the country faced these threats, the President is counting on the military to ensure national security and neutralize the terror groups. Duterte said he has nothing but high praises and respect for soldiers who take the risk to deter lawless elements in the country.

“As we march onwards this new year, I am hopeful that we will continue to eliminate these terrorist groups in Sulu for good,” he said.