Duterte to military: Crush rebellion in Mindanao
President Rodrigo Duterte renewed on Tuesday his order to the military to crush rebellion in Mindanao.
In a speech during his visit to a military camp in North Cotabato, Duterte said the situation in Marawi City could not be addressed by an ordinary police operation. Government troops have been pursuing the Islamic State-linked Maute Terror Group in Marawi for two weeks.
"I am ordering you to crush the enemies because this is not an ordinary police (operation). When I say, 'crush them', you have to destroy everything, including lives," he said, reiterating the rebellion in Marawi is connected to illegal drugs.
He said the proceeds from illegal drug operation are funding the rebellion.
Duterte vowed to finish the problem in Marawi, citing many government troopers have been killed.
"We have crossed the bridge already," he said, stressing that he is mad because the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has brought "foreign ideology" to Lanao del Sur. Marawi is in Lanao del Sur.
Duterte slammed the Maute Group for embracing the ideology of ISIS.
"Why do you allow other people to come to our country and destroy us for their ideology? We have our own (ideology). Yours is foreign. That's not yours, that came from the Middle East. The avowed objective of ISIS is to kill and destroy, period," he said.
Duterte said he would destroy and kill the Maute terrorists.
"No peace talks. If it would take me 10 years to do it, I will do it, if am still around. If I will do it until the end of my term, I will do it," he said.
Duterte also reassured the soldiers to do their job under martial law, which has been declared in entire Mindanao due to the terror problem.
"Don't be afraid to do your job. Because under the Constitution, I and I alone can declare martial law," he said.
Duterte congratulated the military for its achievement in securing the country.
He also jokingly told the soldiers not to launch a coup d'etat against him and not to kill him and allow him to live for five years until the end of his term. Celerina Monte/DMS
