「日刊まにら新聞」ウェブ

President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he would not declare an state of emergency in Sulu where the military has going after the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group.

"It’s just a punitive police action by the security forces of the government. The magnitude of the trouble there does not warrant anything except the industry of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police)," he said.

Duterte said he does not enjoy fighting, noting the 15 soldiers and over 20 Abu Sayyaf bandits who were slain in the operations.

"I do not enjoy this war. I hate to sign documents that would procure things that would just kill or maim your citizen," Duterte said in a speech during the arrival at the NAIA of some 128 Filipino repatriates from Saudi Arabia.

In separate speech in Zamboanga City where he visited the wake of the 11 of the 15 slain soldiers during a battle in Sulu on Monday, Duterte slammed the Abu Sayyaf for mutilating the body of their hostages or victims.

Duterte said he was told by his father the Tausug people, only kill if the word of honor is broken.

But now, with the actuation of the Abu Sayyaf, he said, "it has deteriorated in some form of cannibalism."

“I am sorry that this has happened but I do not want this to happen again,” Duterte told the bereaved families. He also visited the wounded soldiers in the hospitals in Zamboanga.

Duterte said he ordered the soldiers not to waste too much bullets against the bandits, as one bullet is enough.

To families of slain soldiers, he said they would be included in the government's conditional cash transfer program. Each family will receive a sack of rice every month..

The children of the slain soldiers could study free up to college in public schools or state universities. “Let me handle the problem in sending them to school,” Duterte said.

The widow could go to the nearest office of the Department of Interior and Local Government and will be provided with jobs, Duterte said. Celerina Monte