Duterte snubs Reds’ plea to free prisoners: Too much, too soon

President Rodrigo Duterte

“I have conceded to the communists too much too soon,” said President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday as he rejected the demand of the National Democratic Front (NDF) to release 130 political detainees.

Duterte said the continued detention of the remaining political detainees was his last card (huling baraha).

“As yet, I have yet to see a substantive progress in the talks. They are asking for 130 detainees to be released … Sorry, I cannot do that,” he said in a chance interview during the inauguration of the Bicol International Airport.

“I cannot do it because uubusin nila ang baraha ko. Ang alas ko nga eh. Iyang alas ko ang nasa kulungan (they will use up all of my cards. I’m playing my ace. That’s my ace inside the jail),” he added.

Duterte has said that he wanted a signed joint ceasefire agreement between the government and the NDF before granting their demands.

“I am playing a poker game here. Maubos ang baraha ko. I-release ko lahat iyan. Ano pa ang pag-usapan natin? (I will lose my cards if I release them all. What are we going to talk about then?)” he said./rga