PRRD warns mayors against supporting Reds

President Duterte gave mayors a warning against supporting communist rebels.

The President said local government officials would "lose everything" if they would collude with the communists who are considered enemies of the state.

"Please do not, do not associate yourselves with the Communist

Party of the Philippines. Never give them aid and never give them favor. It will be to your chagrin at the end of the day if you do that," he told the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Visayas cluster in Cebu Tuesday night.

"You will lose everything there. You will lose power over the police... Kung magkausap tayo, I will not be nasty but huwag kasi kalaban 'yan," he said.

Duterte lamented that he has lost many cops and soldiers in attacks perpetrated by the communists. "Hindi kona ma-correct yan peace talks, peace talks," he added.

The President earlier announced the termination of peace talks with the communists not only for attacking government troops but also for demanding a coalition government. Duterte said the government would instead resume the fight against the communist rebels who appeared insincere in the resuming the peace negotiations.

In the same event, the President called on the local chief executives to raise the bar of governance, particularly in the fight against illegal drugs and corruption. He said they should improve their performance and enforce the law in their areas of jurisdiction.

“Another thing and the most important here, the reason why I came. You have to improve on your performance as mayor,” he said.

“In your own small town, however small or humble it may be, you are the President there or representing me as president of your own republic,” he added.

"I expect you to go one bar, two bars higher in governance," he said.

“If you do your duty, tapos magkaroon kayo ng kaso (then you will be charged) just like the police, I will support and defend you. Ako mismo (I will do it myself),” he said, drawing applause from LMP officials.

"If there's a drug problem which you cannot solve, you go to (Interior and Local Government) Secretary Año. Tell him (the) problem and he will solve it for you," he added.

Duterte also asked the mayors not to get involved in illegal drug trade and corruption. He said he would not help them in case they get embroiled in cases involving corruption and illegal drugs. Warning to rebels During the Cebu visit, the President likewise sent notice to militant rebels that he is prepared to drop bombs where they are should they mount another large-scale war in Mindanao. The government, he said has a huge arsenal of weapons and would not hesitate to blast away the rebels even if innocent people get hurt.

"Dito sa south [In the south], I’m warning you rebels, marami akong armas [I have many weapons]. You do some fighting there, I will freely use all the jets to bomb you. And if I hurt civilians, then it’s part of the territory,” Duterte said.

"Huwag na natin itong patagalin. Tatapusin natin kung gusto ninyo sa panahon ko [Let's not prolong this. We will end this during my time],” he said.

The President said he has acquired more military weapons and equipment from allies like Russia and China amid the security threat posed by the Islamic State. The two Philippine allies reportedly did not ask anything in exchange for the weapons.

"It's a totally bankrupt and idiotic movement that has nothing except to kill and to destroy, and to kill all the infidels which means to say that if you are not a Muslim, you are an infidel," the President said of the ISIS ideology. (With reports from PNA and Minerva BC Newman)