Duterte blames arms stockpiling in Marawi on ‘soft policy’ towards rebels

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said the Marawi conflict, which has claimed 310 lives, was not a failure of intelligence.

In a speech before troops at the 4th Infantry Division in Butuan City, Duterte said there was a connivance between local politicians and terrorists who stockpiled arms in Marawi City.

“It was not a question of failure on the part of government,” he said.

Instead, he blamed the arms stockpiling on the administration’s “very soft policy” towards rebels.

He said the government didn”t really know who were the enemies because of the peace talks with Moro rebels.

“It was not a failure of intelligence,” he said. “Kasi kung makita pa silang may armas, tapos sabihin nila, MI, MN. Ang standing order naman is… baka, baka sakali mapakiusapan pa natin ang mga kapatid natin. Walang gulo.”

By MI and MN, Duterte was referring to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)

“And this came about because nagdadala sila ng baril eh,” he said. “And since we are thinking of getting peace with the MNLF and MI, ang laro ng armas diyan, we took it for granted. We took it really for granted na. Pero alam natin na mabibigat. Pero hinayaan kasi natin because we never knew at that time kung sino talaga ang kalaban.”

He explained why the Maute terrorists seemed to have endless suppy of ammunitions.

“All the while, itong Maute, with the connivance of the politicians there, ‘yung mga warlords, were stockpiling. Kaya ni hindi maubos yung M203 na bala at napakarami. Ngayon, kalabas-labasan, itong Maute were bringing the firearms surreptitiously at hindi natin nakuha na gaano na karami ang ammo pati baril sa loob.”

An M203 is a single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to be attached under the barrel of a rifle.

The President said there was a “conglomeration” of Islamic fighters in Marawi.

“So you have a conglomeration there of ISIS fighters from Syria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lankan, at ‘yung mga Arabo na maputi. Maputi yung Arabo eh – na Kuwait.”

He said the Maute terrorists, including foreign fighters who had pledged their allegiance to the Islamic State, had been using the name of God to kill innocent civilians.

“They have so corrupted the name of God in the form of religion to kill many innocent persons and to destroy for nothing,” Duterte said. “Wala talagang isang namatay na Islam o Kristyanismo na bumalik dito na totoo yang Diyos na yan.”

He lamented that the fighting had claimed the lives of many government troops.

“So the fighting is going on,” he said. “Of course, it’s winding up, but at the cost of so many soldiers also. And that is the danger ng Maute at ISIS. Bantay kayo diyan. Mahirap kalabanin yung taong gustong mamatay”

He assured the public the military would act immediately if Islamic terrorists were to be sighted in other areas of the Philippines.

“Yan ang mahirap,” he said. “Ngayon, kung ‘yan ang kalaban natin, matindi ‘yan. And anywhere in the Philippines, ‘pag naamoy ng intelligence na meron diyan, we should start to buildup and tapusin natin… nip of the bud. Kakaunti pa lang. Huwag na nating hintayin. And we have so many jets to do that. We have to use the air assets now because we are up against fighters. Mga galing ‘yan diyan sa Middle East and they have learned the art of brutal killing. Susunugin ka, putulan ka ng ulo, kung ano-ano pa.” /atm