DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte said he will ask Congress to pass a general amnesty for the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who will surrender to the government.
“If Congress will agree with me, I might just declare for general amnesty,” Duterte said in a media night in Davao City on Friday night.
He said rebels, who will surrender, will not be held accountable even if they killed many soldiers.
However, the President said he will not accept NPA rebels who have criminal cases because these people must face the charges.
“Yung mga rebelde diyan who only want to topple the government, bumaba kayo para wala na lang away tutal (Those rebels who only want to topple the government, just surrender so that there will be no conflict. Anyway, you have been there for 50 years),” he said.
Duterte added that if the rebels will still insist to fight the government for more years, they will get nothing since the people do not want communism in this country.
“Ang gusto ni (Jose Maria) Sison, hindi niyo makukuha. If you fight for 50 years or 100 years wala kayong makuha sa gobyernong ito (You cannot get what National Democratic Front (NDF) founder Jose Maria Sison. If you fight for 50 years or 100 years, you have nothing to get from this government),” he said.
The president said even the NDF will say that they will follow a democratic way of resolving the peace problem in the country, the people will not believe it because of the brutal killings of soldiers and police perpetrated by the rebels.
“Mga sundalo pauwi na lang mula sa pagbisita sa patay na kapwa niya sundalo, pinapatay ninyo. Mga pulis na may mga pamilya (You killed soldiers who just went home visiting the wake of their comrade. The police officers who have families), all for nothing,” the president said. “Ano ba ang hinahabol niyo sa buhay (What are you running for life)? Tumakbo? Magpaputok ? Mamatay (die)? Pati gutom (hunger)? Sakit (illness)? Is that what you want? You will be like Jesus Christ if that is the case,” he said.
Duterte said that if the rebels will refuse to give up the armed struggle, the military will always be there ready to fight and defend the country. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
Watch President Rodrigo Roa Duterte attends a gathering of the Davao media at the Matina Enclaves in New Matina, Davao City on September 22, 2017
