MANILA—A visibly exasperated President Rodrigo R. Duterte (PRRD) announced during the meeting of the Inter-Agency Task Force (AITF) on Managing Emerging Infectious Disease, in Malacañang Palace, Thursday evening, that he would declare his own kind of martial law against the New People’s Army (NPA) and its legal front.
“Kaya ngayon, kapag magpapatuloy kayo sa lawlessness, patay dito, patay duon, and this is happening all over the Philippines, then maybe I will declare martial law because kayong mga NPA ang numero uno. Kinukuha ninyo ang tulong sa tao, pati ‘yong pagkain at supply nila”, he said during his opening statement.
The president was alluding to a reported attack by armed communist rebels in Aurora Province on Wednesday, killing two soldiers and wounding three others while conducting a security patrol in the vicinity in relation to the distribution of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Social Amelioration Program in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The fatalities were identified as Pfc. Ken Lester I. Sasapan and Pfc. Jackson M. Mallari of the Scout Platoon from the 91st Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army.
On April 23, presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio also issued a statement condemning the attack by members of the NPA in the remote Paquibato District of Davao City.
Her statement says, “The NPA has once again shamelessly exposed itself as the devil incarnate when it attacked soldiers in Sitio Kapihan, Barangay Malabog, Paquibato District on Wednesday, April 22.” Two soldiers from the 16th Infantry Battalion were wounded during the attack.
PRRD further said he is now informing the armed forces and the police that he might be declaring a martial law and there is no “turning back.” “Kung ano ang klase na martial law, ay akin sa na iyan. Sabihin ko sa kanila, na kung papatayin kayo, papatayin din sila. Tatapusin ko ito sa panahon ko,” he said. “I have still two more years, I will try to finish all of you.”
He also warned the legal fronts and supporters of the NPA. “Pati kayong mga legal, magtago na kayo,” he said. According to the president the NPA grows because of their support and extortion activities from big businesses in the country.
“The government is very jealous because there is only one entity which can collect taxes, and that is the government. The money should be put to good use,” the president further said.
