PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called out the United States’ (US) military staying in Mindanao to leave the place, for fears that they have become an attraction to the Abu Sayyaf group.
In a speech delivered at the oath taking of newly appointed officials, the President noted that many Americans, particularly white Americans, are residing in Mindanao, who he said may be the next target of the bandits.
“So the [US] special forces, they have to go. They have to go. In Mindanao, there are many white [Americans] there. They have to go. I will just review the foreign policy. I can’t just talked [about it] earlier out of respect or I do not want a rift with America. But they have to go,” Duterte said.
“[The situation will be] more aggravated. An American will be killed if he is noticed [by Abu Sayyaf]. [The bandits] will ask for ransom [and will soon] kill [the hostage], even if you’re a black or a white American,” he added.
The President has issued a proclamation, declaring a state of national emergency, in order to suppress lawless violence in Mindanao and to prevent it from spreading all over the country.
He was prompted to make such declaration following a bombing attack at a night market in Davao City, which killed at least 14 individuals.
Duterte said he would only lift the proclamation if the senseless acts have been suppressed.
Prior to the President's call to the US troops to vacate Mindanao, he said Americans were “very hypocrites” for questioning his staunch war against narcotics.
“For me, America is very hypocrite. They know actually that I have a serious [drug] problem here. [There are] three million plus [addicts] for the Philippines,” Duterte said. “So why blabber about me? I know that you should know – you know – that I have serious problem in my country.”
Duterte also mentioned anew the killings of Moro people by American soldiers in 1900s and presented a photo before the newly appointed public officials.
“They (American soldiers) were leaning on the chest of the women with their guns. They made it [the photo of massacre of Moro people] as a post card. Do you know where I got it? At the America’s archives,” he said.
At the East Asia Pacific summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), the President surprised the delegates by deviating from a prepared speech and showing a photo of how the US military killed the Filipino Moros.
Duterte said that all Asean delegates were “silent” when he showed them the photo. (Sunnex)