Davao AFP official lauds Duterte plan to free political prisoners

DAVAO CITY- A high-ranking military official based here extolled presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte for his plan to free political prisoners before engaging in peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Task Force Davao deputy commander Col. Casiano Monilla said on Wednesday that the freeing of political prisoners and the promise of quelling insurgency will be beneficial not only to the Communist Party of the Philippines but also to the military.

“Ang unang-unang magbebenepisyo diyan ay ang ating [mga sundalo]. Alam niyo naman na kami ang naatasan na gumawa ng counter-insurgency operations precisely because our PNP is too busy addressing domestic problems,” Monilla said.

He said that forging a peace pact with Communist rebels will allow the Armed Forces of the Philippines to achieve its true mandate of securing the country from external threats.

“Kung magkakaroon ng katahimikan, then the AFP can perform its true mandate of securing our territorial integrity and protecting the nation and the people as a whole,” the military official said.

With the peace pact, he said casualties on both sides will be reduced.

“Mababawasan na rin ang pagkakaroon ng casualties sa ating [mga sundalo] at mababawasan na rin ang bilang ng mga pamilyang mawawalan ng mga tatay,” he added.

However, he said that granting freedom to political prisoners would still have to undergo processes.

“Sana yung mga grupo ay maging well-meaning din sa kanilang pakikipag-usap sa gobyerno. So that we can really have a peaceful society,” Monilla said.

In a press conference on Monday, Duterte said that freeing the political prisoners is part of confidence-building measures in the negotiations with the NDFP.

“Whether civil or uncivil, in good manners or hindi, basta nagsimula na, sige i-release ko,” Duterte said.

The tough-talking mayor said that they should keep talking in order for the freedom of political prisoners to take place.

“That is my condition, we must be talking to each other,” he said.