PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte, over the weekend, said he decided to permanently terminate the peace talks saying talking with the communists is “useless.”
During his speech at the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan campaign rally in Cagayan de Oro on Sunday, March 24, Duterte said achieving a lasting peace might now be a dream.
“Ang NPA (New People’s Army), ako na’y ni-surrender (I am the one who surrendered). I said I will stop talking to them because it is really useless. We have been talking for the last 30 years. And they have been trying to destroy the legitimate government since 53 years ago,” he said.
“It could be a dream nga naa pay pag-asa (It could only be a dream to have some hope). Fifty-three years would tell you that it amounts to nothing,” Duterte added.
Already, Duterte said he ordered the government forces to end it.
“Either kita’y musurrender or silay musurrender (Either we surrender or they will surrender). Either kita’y mahurot o hutdon gyud nato sila (Either we will be finished or we will finish them). Ang ilang gusto (What they want is) armed struggle. The word itself or the words-- the two words connotes violence,” he said.
Duterte also renewed attacks against priests and bishops. He said a priest held a mass and prayed for him to die.
“Iyang pari didto nagmisa sila, ‘Mamatay po unta si Duterte’. Unsang klaseng relihiyon na? Roman Catholic Church you are a God d*** s***.
Relihiyon muampo ka’g kamatayon sa usa ka tao? So nanimalos ko. Giingnan nako kamong mga adik-adik nga wa moy kwarta pangpalit og shabu, pangita’g obispo galakaw-lakaw ka diha, pagkuha’g tubo. Bunali nang ulo, kuhaa ang kwarta,” Duterte said.
“Bakit ako matakot? Mahurot mo tanan karong gabii, di mas maayo. Then we will have a better world kay ang tanang gobyerno, tibuok kalibutan, basta naa nang Katoliko, p**** i** gubot gyud na. Ma Chile, South America, puro gyud na. Basta naay pari. Olden times pa,” he added.
Duterte also reiterated his call to stop illegal drugs and corruption.
“Ang akong trabaho pag-protect sa tao, and to preserve the Republic of the Philippines. Wa ko’y agenda. Wa tanan. Wa mo’y makit-an nako maski’g piso nga naa sa akong lamesa na pirmahan nako. Gituyo ko na para pagkanaog nako, ug buhi-on pa ko, ug di muundang ning mga--pero ning mga pari magsige’g ampo, mamatay gyud ko. Pero sige na lang. Unsaon ta man? I will... Walay -- ayaw mo’g kahadlok,” he said.
“No dictatorship, no nothing, no extension of term. I will step down on the day that I will end my term. Unya muingon ko ninyo pa’g usab, og di na ko kaabot anang panahona, daghang salamat na lang sa pagsalig ninyo,” he added.