Duterte to Reds: You do not deserve mercy
"YOU do not deserve mercy," President Rodrigo Duterte told communist guerillas on Tuesday, December 19, despite their commitment not to attack government troops over the holidays.
Duterte made the remark in a speech delivered in Davao City, as he stressed that he now considers the communists' armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), as "criminals" and not revolutionaries.
"Karahasan anang NPA, mura og dili na gani maayo nga ipadayon pa nato ang peace talks. Dili ko mutuo nga madala ni og istorya because tinuod wala sila masulod sa pang-gobyernong aktwal -- kanang adlaw-adlaw nga panglihok nga mu-surrender sila para masunod sila," the President said.
(Because of the violence enacted by the NPA, I don't think it's a good idea to push through with the peace talks. I don't think that this issue will be resolved through talks because truthfully, they haven't fully immersed themselves in the actual government system where they ought to do daily activities that would ensure their union with government.)
"NPA, eh puro criminal na 'yan sila eh (NPA rebels are criminals). I do not consider them revolutionary. They are just plain bandits and that is the way we should treat them," he added.
Duterte's remarks came even after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) had declared temporary ceasefire with the government forces in observance of the holiday season and its 50th founding anniversary.
The communists' truce will take effect 12:01 a.m. of December 24 to 11:59 p.m. of December 26. Another truce is set at 12:01 a.m. of December 31 to 11:59 p.m. of January 1, 2019.
The CPP made the announcement, despite the position of the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines not to recommend to Duterte the declaration of traditional holiday truce with communist insurgents.
Duterte, who terminated the talks with the communist party in November 2017, reiterated that he was no longer interested in resuming the peace negotiations with the CPP's political wing, the National Democratic Front.
The President said he would instead "finish off" the communist rebels.
He stressed that he does not need a warrant to kill communists since they continue to perpetrate crimes "24 hours a day."
"NPA ka? Naa ko sa atubanagan? Pusilon taka (While I'm facing you. I will shoot you). I'll just finish you off. Why? If I don't do it, you go again around the community asking for money and killing them if we don't give," Duterte said.
"So you are already in a continuous crime of rebellion 24 hours a day. Why do I need to have a warrant? By the fact that you are a rebel, you are a 24-hour violator of the Revised Penal Code of rebellion. Ang krimen dili mawala kung matulog ka (the crime will not disappear while you sleep). It attaches to your person unless you surrender or die," he added.
Duterte said he might also decide not to accept communist rebels who opt to surrender since they are "cruel and brutal people."
"P***** i**, ayaw na mo'g surrender kay kada makita mo, pusilon ta mo. Wala nang surrender-surrender because you are cruel and brutal people (Son of a b****, don't surrender anymore because if I see you again, I will shoot you. Do not surrender because you are a cruel and brutal people). You do not deserve mercy," he said. (SunStar Philippines)