Duterte: Watch me, Abu Sayyaf will pay

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday minced no words as he reiterated his warning to destroy the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, which has denied involvement in the deadly explosion that took 14 lives in his hometown of Davao City last week.

In his speech before the Filipino community in Laos, where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit is being held, Duterte assured his countrymen that he just needed a little more time to make the bandits pay the price for their crimes.

READ: Duterte warns Abu Sayyaf: I will eat you alive

“Let me state my case. They will pay. Magbayad sila. Ilang buhay pinatay nila (How many did they kill), 15? Well, give me time. Pagdating ng panahon, talagang pulpugin ko kayong lahat (When the time comes, I will pulverize you). You watch me. Tutal nakita ninyo ako how I operate… Bigyan lang ninyo ako ng konting panahon (You’ve seen how I operate… Just give me a little time),” Duterte said.

Duterte said the Davao bombing was “in retaliation” for the government’s “all-out” war against terrorism and criminality.

“Kung hindi ko gawin ‘yan, we are being slapped every day, almost. Mag-hostage sila ng mga turista or kidnap people, then asking for money at ‘pag hindi naibigay – o nakabigay na at ipasa nila doon sa ibang grupo, dadagdagan – pinapatay nila sa harap ng mundo,” Duterte said.

(If I don’t do that, we are being slapped every day, almost. They take tourists as hostage or they kidnap people, then ask for money. When we don’t give it – or when we do and they pass it on to another group, we add to the amount – they kill the hostage in front of the whole world.)

“As a country, a sovereign state, I cannot simply allow that… Alam mo, I am asking you, I am very sad. I share the grief of those who died. But mga collateral na lang ‘yun, mga ganti (But it’s just collateral, a retribution),” he added.

The President said bombings that “have been going on ever since” were part of the “sacrifice that we have to bear,” but he maintained that the government would not bend its knee in pursuing the terrorist group.

“That will not stop us because I cannot go to them and say, ‘Please stop and I am on bended knee, nakaluhod ako.’ I carry the burden of a country, a sovereign state and at all costs, I must uphold the dignity and the integrity of our country,” Duterte added. JE/rga

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