Marawi Siege: Duterte to Hunt down Maoist Militants
Local Editor
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he was no longer interested in peace talks with Maoist-led guerrillas and planned to hunt down the insurgents once the military has retaken a southern city from militants.
Speaking to troops fighting pro-Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the Takfiri ‘ISIS/ISIL' group] terrorists on the southern island of Mindanao, Duterte said he would order an offensive against the New People's Army [NPA] after Marawi City is back under government control.
"I do not want to talk peace," Duterte said on Thursday at an army brigade headquarters about 2 km from the battle area.
"No more talk, let us fight," Duterte told businessmen in southern Davao City in a speech on Friday.
Automatic gunfire and artillery shelling were heard during the president's four-hour visit, which was kept secret for security reasons.
"There is a resurgence in communist activities, and after you finish here, we will re-orient and go after them," he said, adding that the militants had taken advantage of the crisis with terrorists to attack government forces in Mindanao.
A municipal police chief was among six police killed by Maoist-led guerrillas in an ambush on their way to investigate a report of a shooting in the central Philippine town of Guilhungan on Negros Island.
Duterte is dealing with the biggest security challenge of his presidency, with troops stretched to secure an island of 22 million people, wary of attacks by Maoists and activities by a loose alliance of militants who have pledged allegiance to Daesh, foreigners among them.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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