(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte again called on members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender to the government, saying that the communist movement would not give a comfortable life to their children.
The President said he hoped the communist rebels would realize that it is time to surrender to the government, and help bring about peace.
Duterte said he is ready to give decent jobs and housing to NPA surrenderees who will help the government.
“Pero andam ko mudawat ninyo, musurrender (surrender) lang mo, dad-a inyong armas, ihatag kanako, tagaan tamo og lugar ug balay ug trabaho. Sigurado mo ana. (But I am ready to accept you if you surrender.Bring your firearms, give it to me, and I will give you a house and a job. You can be sure of that),” he said during his remarks at the inauguration of Gaisano Grand Citygate Mall on Friday.
Duterte also told the NPA rebels to stop extorting money from businesses and help the country to find peace so that there would be development for all.
“Kamong — pila’y NPA ngari karon? Itaas inyong kamot. Eh taragis naa ra mo sa likod diha. Naghimo pa’g sunog. Sige na. Hain man ang mga NPA? May discount mo. [applause] Pangayo lang mo’g ID sa pulis ug sa militar. Dili mo hilabtan basta discount lang paliton diri. Ayaw mo sige’g pangayo. Eh pangilkil susmaryosep.
(You — how many NPAs are here right now? Raise your hands. You are probably hiding there at the back, starting a fire. Sige na. Where are the NPAs? You have a discount. Just ask the police and military to give you IDs. They won’t harm you as long as you only come here to buy and avail your discount. Stop extorting. Susmaryosep),” he said in the vernacular.
The 73-year old Philippine leader said that the NPAs underground movement will “not amount to anything” and that the rebels are better off working to achieve peace and prosperity for their children.
He also reassured the rebel returnees that jobs are waiting for them, especially in Davao, and they could avail themselves of livelihood training skills from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“I will be able to give you that (a decent job and housing). You will undergo training in TESDA, I’ll send you to school, but I will pay you to study and learn new skills,” he said in the vernacular.
He also urged the NPA rebels to go into agriculture, telling them to listen to him, as he does not really want to kill them.
“Our agriculture here is potentially rich. Listen, NPAs. I’m not fighting with you and I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know about you. But we are really friends,” he said, speaking in the vernacular.
Duterte tried to explain the futility of it all, and how killing one another doesn’t make sense, as both the lives of soldiers and NPA rebels – all Filipinos – are wasted by the fighting.
“Mao ra man na’y akong tuyo. Kalas kaayog sundalo. Pirting daghanang sundalo namatay ngari pati pulis ug kamo pud. Lubong ngari, lubong ngadto, ang uban di na makauli. Wa kahibaw ang mga anak ang ilang mga amaha’g inahan nag-NPA panglubong lang diha sa lasang. (That’s all I want. Soldiers’ lives are being wasted. A lot of military men and policemen are being killed including those from your troops. You bury someone here and then you bury someone there. Some are unable to go home. Their children have no idea that their father and mother who joined the NPA were buried in the forest.)
Duterte said that he knew that the NPAs were among those who supported him during his campaign for the presidency, and for that he owed them a debt of gratitude.
“I will not be where I am today without the help of the people of Davao and the NPA. I’m thankful for that,” he said.
The President then reiterated to them the significance of working with the government. “And because you helped me, I am asking you to also help me find a way for all of us to live.”
“What we have to do in our generation — it behooves this generation to find the elusive peace,” President Duterte explained.
“There are jobs here, and that makes me very happy. You NPAs sleep on it. Nobody else is closer to the NPAs here than the Davaoeños,” he cited.
Duterte formally ended peace talks with the communist movement in November 2017 after an NPA ambush in Bukidnon that led to the death of a four-month old baby.
Meanwhile, the President lauded the Gaisano Group for playing a vital role in the lives of the Davaoeños, and for contributing to the overall progress of Davao City.
“I want to thank you a lot first because of the jobs. You have generated jobs for the people here,” he said. (with a PND report)
