Duterte gathers info on JI bomber in NPA visit

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said Sunday one of his objectives in attending the anniversary of the communist rebels last year was to extract information on the Malaysian terrorist who was killed by local police operatives last December.

Duterte, speaking in his regular television program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa" Sunday morning, said he was looking for answers why Mohd Noor Fikrie Bin Abd Kahar, a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah, was able to slip a bomb into the city. Kahar was subsequently gunned down by police authorities last December 14 before he can detonate the bomb he was carrying.

"Kaning NPA may tactical alliance ni sila sa mga revolutionary front, MILF, MNLF. Buot pasabot, they provide safe passage. Basig naa sila nahibal-an ngano nakasulod tong bomba," Duterte said.

"I must congratulate the police and the military ngano nakasulod diri but ngano naplanohan didto nga diri sa Davao. Nakigstorya pud ko ug MILF kang Misuari nganong gida tong bomba diri," he said.

Since he was invited to attend the anniversary of the New People's Army rebels in Compostela Valley, Duterte said he took advantage of the occasion to seek answers from his rebel friends.

"Nagapangita kog tubag ba para maprotektahan nako ang syudad sa Dabaw. Siyempre bise-mayor ko, mao to akong katuyuan (I was looking for answers to protect the city of Davao. I'm the vice mayor so that was my intention)," he said.

Duterte said before he went to the area, he instructed his chief of staff Christopher Go to contact Brigadier General Ariel B. Bernardo, commander of the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division, and inform that he would be attending the anniversary in order to hand the money a philanthropist had given him for the Typhoon Pablo victims.

He said he also called Police Regional Office Director Jaime H. Morente when he arrived in the city and inform the same.

The vice mayor said he did it out of respect to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

However, Duterte's visit to the rebel camp was misconstrued by one military official whom he did not name. This general, he said, peddled lies and he went on to chide the intelligence unit for this.

"That's really a fraud. You better shape up," said Duterte, referring to allegations he went to the NPA camp to pay revolutionary tax.

Duterte had earlier admitted giving money through the NPA for the Typhoon Pablo victims in the province.

Duterte warned the military to stop giving wrong information against all his initiative in bonding with the communist rebels.

"Para aning mga police ug military, kinsa may tigkuha ninyo sa bukid ug makidnap mo, mahostage mo. Tubaga ko. You answer," he said.

He said he also remembers once when a former Task Force Davao commander misinformed him that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte was with Satur Ocampo in one gathering.

He said when he tried to verify such information, he found out that it was Inday Duterte of Kadamay, and not his daughter.

He added that there was also an incident that he was accused of giving a .45 caliber to Leoncio Pita alias "Kumander Parago," an NPA leader.