President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins and led the military troops in flashing Duterte fist during his visit at Tactical Command Post in , Nanagun, Lumbayague, Lanao del Sur Wednesday November 30 with top brass military officers. The troops will sustain and intensify the military operations in Butig town, the lair of Maute local terrorists group.( Photo by : Richel V. Umel,Inquirer Mindanao)
President Rodrigo Duterte is “considering” talks with ISIS-linked Maute group, who is currently engaged in a firefight with state forces in Lanao del Sur.
This was the statement of Communications Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan a day after Duterte said he wanted to befriend the Maute group, which had seized control of the municipal hall of Butig town in Lanao del Sur.
“Kaibiganin natin para walang gulo,” Duterte told reporters after the inauguration of the mega drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija.
In a Palace briefing, Ablan was asked to clarify the President’s statement.
“The expression of the President the other day is try to exhaust all possibilities to achieve peace and order and so is considering, you know, discussing with that particular group is in his line of thinking,” Ablan told reporters.
He said Duterte “merely wanted to express his desire to exhaust all legal ways and proper ways into achieving peace and order.”
Ablan, however, said there was no official directive yet to negotiate with the group.
“We’ll leave it to the President and to his National Security Council to move on with regard to dealing with this particular group. Suffice to know that there is no written statement that the government will coordinate or mediate or negotiate with this group. There is no written policy on that,” he said.
During the gathering of the San Beda College of Law Alumni Association in Taguig City last Saturday, Duterte said he was ready to talk to the Maute group and even the Abu Sayyaf.
READ: Duterte: Not wise to drive Abu Sayyaf, Maute group to despair
But in an ambush interview in Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday afternoon, Duterte warned the Maute group not to force the government to wage war against them.
Dito sa Maute, I said I do not want to declare war against kahit sino but I told them that they have to stop. Sana wag na lang tayo umabot sa giyera. Di ko naman sila tinatakot. Sabi ko lang na ayaw ko. Ayaw ko makipag-giyera but do not force my hand into it,” he said. RAM
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