Talk with Army 10th Infantry Agila Troopers

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte spent time to talk with the Agila Troopers of the Philippine Army’s (PA) 10th Infantry Division (10ID) at Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr. in Mawab, Compostela Valley.

During his speech, the President discussed the government’s efforts and current quest to peace talks, especially with the communists.

“We are talking to the left and I found that things are going well smoothly. Baka maka-tiyamba tayo dito. Baka lang. And I hope that Dureza and company will succeed and I am very willing to accommodate them,” he said.

However, the Commander-in-Chief admitted that there is still a group in Mindanao that remains unyielding to peace negotiations, citing that the animosity stemmed from the massacre committed by the Americans to their ancestors.

“I was trying to explain to him (to President Barack Obama) kung bakit hindi mahinto-hinto ang Mindanao and was also trying to impress upon him na kayo ang nagbigay ng rason bakit ganito ngayon kami. Resulta ito ng pag-agaw nila sa atin noong panahon ng mga lolo natin,” he said.

The President instructed the 10ID Agila Troopers to train and reinvent themselves to fight urban terrorism, particularly learning the profiling of bombers and terrorists by identifying typical gestures and common physical features. He also mentioned his plan to return the Philippine Constabulary to fight this brand of terrorism.

“We happened to be Filipinos in this land. We are here and we want peace that is why we have a government to run a country. We are mandated to preserve our territory and to protect the citizens,” he stressed.

“Stick to your mandate. Do no wrong. Kapag may order to go after these criminals, go after them… Itaga ninyo ito sa puso ninyo: for as long as I am the President, nobody but nobody, no military man or policeman will go to prison because they perform their duties,” President Duterte concluded. ●