Duterte orders military to give NPA ‘what it deserves’
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2019 06:49:13 +0000
IN the wake of the spate of killings in Negros, President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military to give the communist rebels “tit for tat,” reiterating his plan to implement “more severe measures” to address the country’s peace and order problems.
In his speech at the Mindanao-wide distribution of land certificates to agrarian reform beneficiaries in Davao City on Friday night, Duterte blamed the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), for the killings.
“I’d like to say to the communists, you have crossed the red line. There never was a time that the military or myself allowed torture or to hurt people who surrendered from the NPAs or captured. I will never allow it,” Duterte said.
“I served notice the other day that I will not take it sitting down… I’ve been telling you, I will implement a more severe measure. What – what is it? Maghintay lang kayo. Kasi sabi ko sumosobra na kayo (Just you wait. Because as I said, you have gone overboard),” he said.
The President said he ordered the military to give the NPA rebels what they deserved as he would not allow them to overpower the local governments.
“The local government’s down… I will not allow you to do that. I will not. I will give you tit for tat. That’s my order to the military. Give them what they deserve,” Duterte said.
“They are not fighting a conventional war. They are not obeying the Geneva Convention,” he added.
The President made the remarks days after planning to use emergency powers to quell the lawless violence in Negros and crush other security threats.
The Palace had said the declaration of martial law in Negros was among the emergency powers the President could use to address the security problem there.
In his Friday’s speech, the President insisted that the recent killings in Negros Oriental were not sanctioned by the government.
Duterte issued the statement, following the recent allegation of progressive rights group Karapatan that the spate of murders in Negros Oriental was state-sponsored.
“Itong mga komunista, they’re blaming government for the killings, when actually, you started the spate of murders there. Ang pinakamarami na may tama (Most of those killed), the hardest hit, are a group of government men are soldiers, policemen, and people who are openly for the government, and mga barangay captain,” he said.
“Why would I kill? What for? Use you as your… If I can use your carcass as a fertilizer, I might do that to increase the yield,” the President added.
Duterte said the government was not barbarian, unlike the communist group, which acts like a “killing machine” of the country.”
“The reason why we cannot develop fully is the countryside is infested with parasites like you,” the President said.
“Sumosobra na kayo. And in some areas, malaki masyado (You have gone too far. And in some areas, you’re controlling it). And I am short of policemen and soldiers. But you cannot do it unrestrained, unbridled, uncontrolled as if you are the killing machine of the Philippines,” he said.
On July 26, Karapatan alleged that the killings in Negros Oriental have “worsened progressively” following the deployment of additional state forces in the province.
The group also slammed the government’s anti-insurgency measures that “have suppressed dissent and promoted state-perpetrated violations committed with impunity.”
At least 17 people were killed in different areas in Negros Oriental from July 18 to July 27.
Irked by the Karapatan’s claim, Duterte slammed the rights group which he described as “a group of devils in the Philippines.”
“Ang Karapatan is a front [of the communists], just like our barangay captains are our legal fronts. Kayong mga Karapatan ang samahan ng demonyo sa Pilipinas (You know, Karapatan is a group of devils in the Philippines),” he said.
“You know, what you did in Negros is not just fighting. The danger there is you are now implementing the commune system of the dispirited communist party strategy,” Duterte added. CATHERINE S. VALENTE