Duterte rejects calls to arm civilians in Lanao del Sur
No to arming civilians in Lanao del Sur, says President Duterte. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday rejected proposals from mayors of Lanao del Sur to arm civilians in the fight against terror and criminality.
Speaking to reporters here, Duterte said allowing civilians to bear arms at this point and let them help in the fight against terror and criminality would just result in chaos.
Earlier, Lanao del Sur mayors – during a meeting with the military at the Lanao del Sur provincial capitol compound in Marawi City – said up to 30 civilians per municipality could be allowed to bear arms and work side by side with military and police authorities.
“We’re asking the military to allow civilian supporters to bring firearms,” said Butig Mayor Dimnatang Pansar during the meeting, which was called for purposes of drawing up a community-based security plan.
He said the people should take the lead in protecting and securing their communities from the threats of extremism.
Pansar, a lawyer, had been consistent in his stand that civilians should be allowed to fight the Maute group.
In December last year, he also rallied his townmates to “not support those who sow discord.”
Butig was where the initial clashes between government troops and Maute gunmen had been confined until May 23, when the group brought its fight to Marawi City, considered the heart of Maranao culture and tradition.
Pansar already said then that he wanted to arm civilians against the terror group if allowed by the military.
But Duterte said instead of helping, civilian volunteers could actually complicate the situation as they would become easy targets by Maute gunmen for their firearms.
“Not at this time,” he said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters in a separate news briefing that the government might allow civilians to bear arms but that they should be properly trained first.
He said one idea could be to form them into a Special Civilian Armed Auxiliary or SCAA.
