Duterte warns Moros: Do not attempt to play here

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday warned Moro people not to intervene in the Marawi City crisis as he tried to boost the morale of the soldiers to end the clashes against the ISIS-inspired Maute group.

“Kaya ninyong tapusin ‘yang isa, araw, dalawang araw. But there must be a reconstruction also. Ipakita natin sa mga Moro na hindi talaga patayan ang… lalo na sa mga Maranao, galit ako. Pero, we have to help each other. Sabi ko, after all at the end of the day Filipino tayo,” Duterte told troops in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.

“Kaya my warning to the, ang kapwa ko na mga Moro: Do not, do not attempt to play here. Kung ayaw mong madisgrasya, tumabi ka. Kaya ‘yung mga kadugo ko, umalis kayo diyan sa Marawi. You are always welcome sa Davao. Doon muna tayo. Huwag kayong magsali-sali kasi magpatayan lang tayo, ‘yung magkadugo. Ayaw ko ‘yan,” he added.

Duterte has previously spoken out against Maranaos for supposedly allowing corrupt foreign ideology to destroy their city.

He reiterated this point as he recalled how a person included in the arrest orders issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the martial law administrator got in touch with him.

“Kay tumawag si Solitario. Sabi ko, p— ina, ano ka ba? Kampi ka sa gobyerno o kalaban tayo? Kasi sabi ko pinapahuli ka ni Lorenzana, p— ina, ipapatay talaga kita,” he said.

One of the personalities wanted according to Arrest No. 2 is Solitario Ali Salic, the older brother of former Marawi City Mayor Fajad Salic who was nabbed in Cagayan de Oro City on Wednesday. It was unclear if Duterte was referring to the same person.

Duterte said he told Solitario to try to clear his name with Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Jesus Dureza first.

“Sabihin ko daw… wala akong sasabihan. Maghanap ka ng paraan. Mag-usap kayo ni Dureza, pero huwag kang magpakita sa gobyerno, talagang huhulihin ka. Baka patayin ka pa,” he said.

“Sabi ko, then you go to Lorenzana. Eh kung magsabi si Lorenzana, medyo clear o, ‘pag hindi. Kayo ang nag-umpisa diyan eh. Tapos ngayon, karami n’yong daldal. Kesyo ano, kesyo—do not give me that bulls—,” he added.

Not all Maranaos

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella during the Mindanao Hour in Malacañang clarified that Duterte was not referring to all Maranaos when he expressed his disdain for what happened in Marawi City.

“I doubt it is—if it’s a blanket blame. But I, you know, I’m sure that what he’s referring to—I would assume that what he’s referring to are basically the sympathizers—the actual sympathizers who would be that. But it’s not a blanket blame,” he said.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. also pointed out that Duterte must have been so disappointed if some locals indeed worked with foreign entities to attack Marawi City.

“So what may have inflamed the President’s feeling is itong mga nanghimasok naman dito ay—although sinasabi nga eh karamihan na taga-labas, may mga iba din na taga-diyan sa loob,” he said.

“So why did they want to destroy their own lovely city, their own peaceful city is perhaps one of the sources of that emotional comment of the President. He is from Mindanao and you must understand how he must communicate strongly for action in Mindanao,” he added. —JST, GMA News