Surrender, I don’t want to kill you, Duterte tells NPAs

resident Duterte renewed his desire for peace in the country as he urged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) anew to surrender since he does not want to kill them.

“Pami... paminaw ra mong NPA. Wala man ko’y away ninyo. Di... di ko gusto mupatay pud ninyo. Ambot og kamo. Kay amigo man gyud ta (Listen, NPAs. I’m not fighting with you and I don’t want to kill you, but I don’t know about you. But we are really friends),” Duterte said in Davao City Friday.

“Kanang inyong kalihukan, wala na gyud na. Pero andam ko mudawat ninyo, musurrender lang mo, dad-a inyong armas, ihatag kanako, tagaan ta mo og lugar ug balay ug trabaho (Your underground movement will not amount to anything. But I am ready to accept you if you surrender. Bring your firearms, give it to me, and I will give you a house and a job),” he added.

Duterte then said that the NPA will get nothing from killing him, saying it would be better for them to just return to the folds of the law.

“Unsa ma’y madawat ninyo ana? Kamong mga NPA. What? Patyon ko ninyo? O pagka ugma unsa man mahitabo? Unsa’y mahitabo sa Pilipinas? Kamong mga Amazona, mas maayo pang muanhi mo ngari, mag-gakos ta, hagkan ta pa mo (What will you get from it? You NPAs. What? You’re going to kill me? The next day what will happen? What will happen to the Philippines? You amazons are better off coming here. I’ll even hug and kiss you),” he said.

“Karong panahuna nako makaduol mo basig unsang orasa. Dili ko manakit og tao kay dugay pud kong nagsilbi nga nahibaw ko nga inyo kong gisuportohan (During my term you can approach me anytime. I will not harm you because I have served for so long and I know that you supported me),” he added.

President Duterte earlier expressed doubt that the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNew People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) can be revived.

Talking to the enemies of the state was one of the pillars of Duterte’s campaign during the election season last 2016.

Duterte had started talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF but scrapped the same in November last year, citing the rebels’ insincerity to the formal negotiations and for breaching their own unilateral ceasefire.

In March this year, Duterte announced that he was willing to give the peace talks one last chance but said that it had to be done in the country.

But even after assuring CPP founder Jose Maria Sison’s safety, the communist leader thumbed down Duterte’s condition.