MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the military to obliterate the Abu Sayyaf group, which is being pointed to as suspect in bombing a cathedral in Jolu, Sulu on Sunday morning, killing at least 21 persons.
“I’m ordering you now: Pulpugin ninyo ang Abu Sayyaf by whatever means,” the President said in a speech on Monday in Jolo, Sulu. The transcript of the speech was released to the media on Tuesday.
“Meron man tayong helicopter, may eroplano, may mga barko. Eh iyong mga bala natin diyan sa mga kanyon ninyo…paputukin na ninyo,” Duterte said.
He added: “Our duty is to protect the Filipino people; and second is that we have to preserve the nation. ‘Pag nawala iyang Jolo, maski isang island diyan, well we have failed in our mission to preserve the territory of the Republic of the Philippines.”
The President, who visited Mt. Carmel Cathedral on Monday afternoon, said the civilians must be spared from the operations against the Abu Sayyaf group.
“Ang gawin ninyo sabihin ninyo pagka-bobombahin mo ‘yang lahat, paalisin mo iyong mga tao. Paalisin mo ‘yung mga tao, ilagay mo dito kung saan ako ang maggastos ng pagkain, lahat. Tapos plantsahin ninyo ng bala…,” Duterte said.
He added: “Kunin ko ‘yung lahat ng inosenteng tao. Halikayo dito, ako ang magpakain muna. Magsakripisyo ako. Hanap ako pera. Tapos pulpugin mo ‘yang teritoryo nila.”
An Abu Sayyaf subgroup – the Ajang-Ajang group – was likely behind the Jolo twin bombings.
The terror group Islamic State has claimed responsibility over the attack that killed 21 people and injured some 100 others.
The explosions in the Sulu town happened less than a week after majority of Muslim Mindanao approved the creation of a new region that will grant wider autonomy for Bangsamoros – a local word that refers to Filipino Muslims in the restive south.
But the military said it was still too early to connect the blasts to the plebiscite on the BOL, which is part of the peace deal between the government country’s largest Moro rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front./PN
