President Rodrigo Roa Duterte disembarks from the Philippine Airlines chartered flight PR001 upon his arrival at the New Delhi International Airport in India on January 24, 2018. PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Rodrigo Duterte remained unfazed with the latest report that he was a target of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) while he is in an official trip in India.
“[Duterte] will not cower to threats from ISIS nor any other terrorist groups,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement reacting to story by “The Print” of India.
The Print published a report saying Duterte “is on the radar of the Islamic State… is giving security agencies sleepless nights” as he attends a regional summit with Indian and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders.
Duterte, along with 10 other Asean leaders is also set to attend the Republic Day in New Delhi on Friday.
The Print, quoting a security agency source, said the ISIS terrorists “has mobilized its people and is planning to strike.”
But Roque said Duterte was “unmoved by this latest threat and will be unrelenting in his fight against violent extremism.”
“All precautions though are being taken by the PSG [Presidential Security Group] and Indian authorities,” he said.
“Security arrangements by both PSG and Indian police are in place. We will all be there for and with him,” he added.
Duterte, Roque said, “has pledged to serve the Filipino people and has left the issue of his mortality to the Creator.” /jpv
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