Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison and President Rodrigo Duterte. FILE PHOTOS
President Duterte lashed at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison for calling him a bully.
“Correct ka diyan! 100 per cent,” Duterte said, in reply to Sison’s statement. “I bully people who want to overthrow the government, that is my job,” Duterte said.
“I am here to bully you and to kill you because there’s a war going on between us and you are killing my soldiers,” he said. “Maybe, I will kill you if I have the chance,” he said.
“No more talk, let’s fight,” Duterte said as he called the CPP enemies of the state. “I’ll save money, buy new equipment, the precision-guided missile.”
He said talks with communists are not bringing good results. “So, if that’s the case, let it remain that way in another five years.”
He told Sison, “You are right, let’s stop talking because we are wasting our time. The war that you are talking about has been here in the last 50 years, let’s renew it in another 50 years, let the Filipino sacrifice, the poor, the lumad, let them die, let us fight in another 50 years,” Duterte said.
“Let’s be ferocious against each other, no quarter given, no quarter asked,” he said.
“Let us stop talking. It’s a great expense to be sending people there for nothing, let’s start fighting.”
He also asked the Lumad who are with the NPA to surrender their arms and join the government because Sison is already dying.
“Sison is dying. He has trouble in his stomach and the Norwegian government, ayaw magbayad sa (doesn’t want to pay the) hospital, di na magtagal iyan, sino ang maiiwan, kayo (he will not last long, so, who will be left, you)?” he asked the Lumad.
“Join the soldiers, I’ll give you place to stay, dalhin baril dito (bring your guns here), if you don’t want to believe me, prepare for war for another 50 years.”
“Members of the NPA, if they surrender, I will make them soldiers and policemen. I will pay them, give them a place to stay. Just give me time. All they have to do is surrender,” he said.
Duterte said he will mention the terrorism issue in his address to Congress on Monday. On the fight against terror, Mr Duterte said: “It will be unrelenting. We will not stop until the last terrorist is killed. “