President Rodrigo Duterte Screengrab from RTVM / Palace video
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said that accountability is the missing ingredient in the peace talks with communist insurgents.
“Kaya bumagsak ‘yung peace talks, lahat ng binigay na mga proposals—at binigay ko rin sa military sabi ko, ‘you study’—pero ako talaga, pagtanggap ko, hindi na,” Duterte said during the joint national and regional task force to end local communist armed conflict meeting in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
(Peace talks failed because proposals were given—I also provided the military and I said, “you study”—but for me, when I received it, I said no.)
“And there was this one missing ingredient to arrive really at a peaceful resolution of the country. ‘Yung (The) accountability, wala (there is none),” he added.
The president noted that the sanctions should be given to insurgents and not the government as they have a reason to kill.
“Kaya ako hindi talaga—sabi ko may kulang dito. One ingredient is really the sanctions sa mga mga ‘yung mga insurgents. Hindi tayo. Tayo ang gobyerno. Hindi naman tayo papatay kung walang rason,” Duterte shared.
(That’s why I said something is missing. One ingredient is really the sanctions against insurgents. Not us. We’re the government. We’ll not kill without reason.)
Duterte said he wanted something to hold on to “a provision or sanctions,” should innocent people be killed.
The president said that the government and communist insurgents would have no peace talks and continue fighting with the lack of accountability.
“Walang—the accountability, whatever—if they have any against us or against them, wala at ayaw nilang i-discuss ‘yan. Sabi ko, wala. No peace talks. We will fight forever, if ako ang masunod,” he said.
(There is no accountability—if they have any against them or us, none, and they do not want to discuss that. I said none. No peace talks. We will fight forever if I am in charge.)
Recently, New People’s Army leader Jorge Madlos, also known as Ka Oris, was killed in an encounter with government troops in Dumalaguing, Impasugong, Bukidnon.
READ: NPA commander killed in Bukidnon clash – AFP
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