Duterte cites War no longer an option for Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, January 29 (PIA) Mayor Rodrigo Duterte cited war as no longer an option for Mindanao.

He said Mindanao can no longer afford to go to war with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Duterte said the people have to ask the question if they are ready to go to war and to carry on the subsequent bombing incidents that might occur, given the presence of terror groups like the Jemaah Islamiyah, and Al-Qaeda which are beyond the control of the MILF.

He said the government must prevent a rebellion that is directed to innocent people and not to soldiers, an approach that is common even in the Middle East.

“Continue your vigilance.  Let us grieve, and I share the grief of the families who lost a member in the incident and I condemn the manner the police commandos were killed,” Duterte pointed out.

He called the bungled police operation in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao which killed 44 members of the police commandos and wounded 12 others as poorly planned and reckless adventure.

Duterte said higher officials of the government could have coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front citing the presence of terrorists in their lair.

He said the police forces simply entered the area without informing properly the rights channels even of the military.

He said the military was not even informed properly about the kind of operation that was going on.

“The operation was not done according to the methodology of the protocol that requires coordination,” Duterte said.

He said the police could have shared the information about their target and the kind of force needed to execute the plan to the soldiers.

Duterte said that the fact that the police commandos numbered at 50 elements, could have hinted the military that it was a big operation. He expressed grief to the police commandos who were killed with cruelty.

“There will be an investigation and the right to be heard is very important.  I hope that there will be a reckoning someday for sending a large number of cops to die brutally,” Duterte said.

He said that for now, the people have to grieve for the fallen police commandos.

Duterte stressed that the government has spent a lot to train these policemen being the striking force of the Philippine National Police.(PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)