President Duterte continues to act and talk tough on his favorite subject—drugs.—MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO
“We can talk, but don’t give me a double face.”
President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday directed that statement to the communist rebels who launched serial attacks against government forces even there are initiatives to talk peace.
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“Until now there is no ceasefire and we have continued fighting,” Duterte said in a speech during the 50th founding anniversary of Davao del Norte.
The supposed 5th round of talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) in May 27 was cancelled after the rebels ordered its fighters to step up attacks against the military following Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
Since then, the NPA and government troops have engaged in firefights.
On June 17, the military engaged in a firefight with NPA rebels in Cateel, Davao Oriential where three rebels died. On the same day, the military again clashed with the rebels at Pantukan, Compostella Valley.
On June 18, around 40 rebels attacked a police station in Maasin town in Iloilo and took 12 firearms, including eight high-powered rifles.
“Would you kindly stop fighting?” Duterte said.
The President said he was “friends” with the communist rebels when he was a Davao City mayor for 22 years.
“We used to talk. We were friends,” he said.
But the chief executive said he was now “burdened with the responsibility of running the country” and he would fight for his troops being attacked by rebels.
“Pag kalaban mo yung pulis ko, magkalaban talaga tayo. Kung magkabarilan, e di magkabarilan (If the police is your enemy, you are truly my enemy. If it warrants a shootout, there will be a shootout). But can you just stop fighting for a while?” he said.
Malacañang had earlier questioned the sincerity of the rebels on the peace talks after its series of attacks despite the peace negotiation with the government.
Meanwhile, the President also reiterated his call to extinguish terrorism in the country especially for the sake of the youth.
“Do not destroy my country because I will really kill you,” Duterte added.
He emphasized that the government must defend young people from terror acts that could destroy their future. Rogelio Nato Jr., INQUIRER.net trainee/ JPV