Duterte slams members of 'ill-mannered' Kadamay group anew

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday night chided anew members of urban poor group Kadamay who earned the chief executive’s ire for occupying housing units for uniformed personnel.

Kadamay members occupied housing units for soldiers in Pandi, Bulacan in 2017 and attempted to take over a state-funded housing project for policemen and soldiers in Rodriguez, Rizal last year.

“The Kadamay members have no manners at all. But even if they are rude, because they are Filipinos I refused to fight them. Because if I do, there will be a confrontation,” Duterte said in a speech in Cebuano during an event with former communist rebels in Tagum City.

“They might shoot at us. I’m not prepared for that. That is the spirit of the government. I will not fight with you. Tell the people to just let them be. Their nails look like they haven’t seen a nail cutter yet,” he added.

“Their nails are so thick, you need to take them to the shop and have their nails soaked in acetylene in order for them to be cut. And they look so pale.”

Responding to the President’s tirades, Kadamay hit back by saying that a “mass murdering misogynistic traitor of a President has no right to speak of manners.”

“Ang numero unong promotor ng kabastusan pa ang may lakas ng loob magsalita ng ganyan. Ang nais palabasin ni Duterte, na ‘maswerte pa ang Kadamay’ dahil hindi niya pinalayas sa Bulacan, at na napakabuti niyang tao kahit pa magugulo ang kasapian namin. Ang totoo, duwag at takot ang Pangulo sa Kadamay at sa maralitang lumalaban. Aba’y bakit panay kinukulong pa rin ang mga organisador namin at hindi tinitigilan ng mga sundalo ang paniniktik sa mga lider namin?” lamented Gloria “Ka Bea” Arellano, Kadamay chairperson.

Arellano likewise described the President as a “weak dog with a strong bark,” by acting “like a puppy towards China and other superpowers, but barks loud against his own people who he actually fears will expose his crimes.”

“Wala nang silbi sa Pilipinas ang Pangulong traydor na kailanman hindi nagpakita ng malasakit sa karaniwang Pilipino. Mabuti pa para sa buong bansa kung palalayasin siya ng mamamayan, at ito ang mensaheng bitbit naming sa darating na pagkilos sa SONA. Bilang na ang araw niya,” she said.

Earlier, Duterte said he had extended compassion to Kadamay but he will not allow anarchy to rule and will use force if necessary to enforce the law.

Kadamay and its allies, however, vowed to continue their fight,  believing it was their right to claim unused and unoccupied housing projects of the government. —Virgil Lopez/LBG/RSJ, GMA News