Duterte: Soldiers should guard Davao City, but must not occupy civilian communities

Vice mayor Rodrigo Duterte

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Saying it would be “crazy” for government to pull out its troops from Paquibato District here, where the communist New People’s Army has been waging a war to overthrow the government, Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said the Philippine Army should at least keep away from civilian communities.

“I will not suggest a pullout of troops from Paquibato, that’s crazy, why should I ask for their withdrawal? That’s crazy,” Duterte said over Sunday’s television program Gikan sa masa para sa masa. “But what’s wrong with (what) our soldiers (are doing), and which, by itself, is a violation of law, is to use schools, daycare centers, barangay halls as their bivouacs,” Duterte said, when asked to react about the Davao’s Sangguniang Panlunsod resolution asking soldiers to stay away from civilian communities.

“You’re not supposed to seek a roof there to make yourself comfortable,” he said.

“You, soldiers, are not supposed to be comfortable, being a soldier, you’re supposed to sacrifice…You’re not supposed to be at the center of population because you are the target of the NPA, not the population,” he added.

Duterte said that to protect civilians, the military had to “situate themselves at some distance from barangay proper, far from the crowd. He said he has been against arming security guards of plantations and companies with high powered firearms because the firearms will only end up in the hands of the NPA.

“They’re only guarding properties,” Duterte said, referring to security guards, “They’re not there to fight the NPA, so if you give them arms, these firearms will only end up in the hands of the NPA,” he said but added nobody listens. “Even with all our powers to convince, they (the soldiers) still put up detachment supposedly to guard civilians, but without them, (referring to both the NPA and the AFP), prosperity will come,” said Duterte.

The vice mayor called for the pullout of soldiers from civilian centers after a grenade that was lobbed at a detachment near a gym exploded, wounding over 30 civilians two months ago.