President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
Update 9:50 p.m.
Get out or be killed.
President Rodrigo Duterte made a stern warning to the militant urban poor group Kadamay to vacate the housing project intended for police and military personnel or else they would be forcibly taken out and might be killed if they violently resist.
“Sabi ko sa pulis kunin ninyo uli. Kung gusto ninyo ng away sabihin ko sa pulis, bigyan mo ng away, kung magkamatayan, ‘wag kayo mauna pero kung kailangan pumatay kayo para i-implement ang legal na regulasyon, gawin ninyo,” Duterte said in a speech during the oath taking of village officials in Sta Rosa, Laguna.
(I told the police to take them back. If you want a fight, I’ll tell the police to give you one; if there’s killing, don’t be the first to do it but if you need to kill to implement the legal regulation, do it.)
He said he does not care if members of the urban poor group would be killed.
“Mamatayan? Lima, anim, pito, wala kong pakialam,” he said.
(Even if five, six, seven are killed, I don’t care.)
Duterte’s warning came a day after members of Kadamay attempted to take over government housing projects in Rodriguez, Rizal.
READ: No Kadamay takeover this time
“Kayong mga kadamay, umalis kayo diyan. Pagka nagkal*****-l***** ang buhay diyan, may mamatay, before the nation sabihin ko, “Well, that is my order,” he said.
(Those from Kadamay, get out of there. If your life gets miserable, if somebody dies, I will tell before the nation, “Well that is my order.”).
He gave an ultimatum to Kadamay members to vacate housing projects until 12 noon on Friday, June 15.
“Pagka lumaban kayo at namatay kayo, problema ninyo iyan,” he said.
(If you fight back and you die, that’s your problem.)
“Umalis kayo by 12 [noon tomorrow]. Pag hindi, sabihin ko ang police, with a riot, back-upan ng SAF. Makamali kayo mag-gamit ng armas, kung mamatay kayo, ‘yun ang dapat para sa lahat,” he added.
(Leave by 12 noon tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll tell the police to back up the SAF if there’s a riot. If you make the mistake of using arms, if you die, that’s what’s fitting for all.)
During a Palace briefing on Thursday, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said members of Kadamay would have to face “the full extent of the law” should they insist to occupy the housing projects for the military and the police.
“They will have to deal with the full extent of the law. The role of the President is to implement the law, he will implement the law,” Roque said. /je