Duterte warns of terror onslaught

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Duterte last night warned Filipinos anew against the escalation of terrorism, which he described as the biggest problem the country would face in the next few years. 

“I am telling you, in the coming days we will be facing a serious problem. It is terrorism. Be prepared,” Duterte told the police Highway Patrol Group during its graduation ceremony held at a local resort in this city. 

Duterte said terrorism does not require a large number of people to carry out a deadly mission.

“They are only four, five and six. But it requires human intelligence,” he said. 

Duterte said authorities see the threat of terrorism worsening in two to three years.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said citizens should be vigilant in the fight against terrorism and share this responsibility with the police and the military.

“Our call to the public, as we have made yesterday, is that we must all subscribe to the tenet that security is a shared responsibility. It is not something that is placed on the shoulders of your police and your military alone. That every community, for it to remain secure, (there) must be a shared task on the part of every citizen,” Padilla said. 

At the same time, Padilla warned the extremist Maute group not to dare them into going to war, saying the military has enough funds and resources to finish them off.

“If you think you can outdo the AFP, you are wrong. Eveything has an end. And, if your pockets are not that deep, the AFP has a very deep pocket to go after you and finish you off,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said yesterday.

Padilla told a briefing in Malacañang that the AFP would crush the Maute group down to the last man.

He called on the militants to raise the white flag and surrender instead of fighting it out with the government.

Padilla said the AFP is willing to talk to the Maute group in following President Duterte’s call for everyone to help bring peace to Mindanao.

“It’s better to dialogue than fire at each other. Whatever issues they didn’t like to communicate across, having a listening ear is better than having your ear made deaf by the blare of guns. The President has tried to communicate and we are leaning forward if ever they have any indications of doing so. But I would like to emphasize that justice must be served,” he said.

The Maute group occupied Butig town in Lanao del Sur on Nov. 26 and raised the black flag of the Islamic State in the apparent attempt to signal their conquest.

The militants occupied the town hall and raised the black flag of IS to make it appear they were supported by the terror organization.

The occupation triggered a firefight with the government troops that went on for almost a week.

AFP chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya disputed reports the Maute group has linked up with the IS.

Visaya said the attack staged by the Maute group in Butig was an apparent attempt to seek recognition and support from the IS. – Giovanni Nilles, Michael Punongbayan, Celso Amo, Rainier Allan Ronda