President Rodrigo Duterte is now very angry towards the terrorist members Abu Sayyaf after the bandits were linked with the recent bombing in Davao City. The bandits are also claiming responsibility for other bombings in other parts of mainland Mindanao and vows that many similar incidents will be expected in the future. The actions of the most brutal terrorist group in the Philippines aggravated the emotions of President Rodrigo Duterte due to the consequences that can be brought about by the plight of terrorism in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte implied "Just give me salt and vinegar and I can eat them". This was the phrase that caught media's attention. In addition, the president told the media that because he is very angry at the bandits, he can perform cannibalism. The president vows to fight for the victims of the recent bombing incident that terrorized Davao City. The president was also at Davao City when the incident happened, which prompted him to visit the victims at the hospitals and funeral homes.
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| President Rodrigo Duterte wearing a suit on the left and white polo shirt on the left |
President Rodrigo Duterte was on a media briefing in Vientiane, Laos during the 2016 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) Summit in the Laotian capital. Aside from his comments about cannibalism, Duterte also vows to sweep the bandits, which is currently concentrated in the island of Sulu. The commander-in-chief ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deploy more troops in the core of the bandits to ensure that they will be forever pulverized. This is a must for the country to prevent the group from executing innocent lives.
The ASEAN Summit is an important sub-continental event for the members of the Southeast Asian nations. The event is currently attended by the head of states and foreign ministers from Southeast Asia. Leaders from Non-ASEAN nations and international organizations also attended the event such as US President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos allow the representatives from the Southeast Asian nations to discuss political and economic issues affecting the region and around the world.
Watch Rodrigo's words against the Abu Sayyaf
Abu Sayyaf is a Jihadist rebel group in the Philippines. The bandits were concentrated in the island of Sulu, west of Mainland Mindanao. The terror group is regarded as one of the most impulsive, dangerous, and radical bandits in Southeast Asia. This group is known to abduct foreigners in order to generate a hefty income by requiring the relatives to pay millions of dollars. If the captives's relative fail to meet the demands of the bandits, they will be executed and the footage of the execution are usually published by the members of the group online.
The bandits currently has at least between 400 to 500 fighters that are mostly concentrated in the island of Sulu. However, there are spill overs in other islands such as in Basilan and Tawi-Tawi to get away from the government authorities.
The bandits also claims that there are other ISIS sympatizer groups in the mainland Mindanao who are willing to join forces with them. The Philippine National Police and the AFP are intensifying checkpoints across the country to prevent future attacks by the sympathizers. The public is warned by the Philippine government to be vigilant and report immediately any suspicious activities to prevent future attacks.
After the ASEAN Summit, President Duterte, along with other cabinet members will fly to Indonesia. The president will initiate formal talks with Indonesian authorities including President Widodo with regards to the fate of Mary Jane Veloso. The lone Filipino woman was convicted of capital punishment when Indonesian authorities discovered trafficked substances when she traveled to Indonesia.
President Rodrigo Duterte hopes that the Indonesian authorities will either delay or reverse the decision for Mary Jane Veloso's case.