President Rodrigo Duterte has a special appeal to the members of the rebel group and Abu Sayyaf this Christmas.
On Saturday, the chief executive urged the rebels to take a vacation.
During his speech at his visit at the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City, Duterte urged for peaceful Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“I’d like to greet everybody, lahat na, the Filipino people, the law-abiding and of course if they find it in their hearts, though this is not really something for the Moro… na we can have a peaceful Christmas. I hope that you would just, isa dyan, ang mga Abu Sayyaf, [to] take a vacation,” Duterte said.
The president disclosed that he was supposed to make the formal appeal to the rebels and bandit groups in a “good speech” that he was preparing.
Duterte has just arrived from his state visit in Cambodia and Singapore on Friday night.
[I’d like] to greet everybody, the communists, the Abu Sayyaf, lahat sila. In behalf of sa taong Pilipino, I greet everybody Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year for all,” he said.
He then promised that if the rebels and the bandits “happen to pass by Davao’, he will treat them to a dinner.
According to the chief executive, the dinner could be arranged by his daughter-in-law, Lovely Sangkula, a native of Jolo.
“So nakikiusap ako sa lahat na can we have a peaceful Christmas? Maybe we can resume fighting some other day,” he added.
However, Duterte said he will not aks truce for criminals, especially drug personalities, even as he asked rebels and the bandits for the same.
“Yung mga shabu? Bigyan mo ako ng isang platong shabu…ipakain ko. Galit ako sa kriminal, hindi ako galit sa rebolusyonaryo,” he said.
To recall, the current administration is striving for the peace efforts with all the Moro rebel groups in Mindanao, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front.
Aside from this, the Duterte administration has also revived peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army.
On Saturday night, Duterte proceeded to General Santos City to attend the birthday celebration of the fighting senator, Manny Pacquiao, when he joked the Pinoy boxer will be the next president of the Philippines.
