Duterte brushes aside IS threat

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday brushed aside the purported plan of terrorist group Islamic State (IS) to assassinate him.

In a news conference upon his arrival in Davao City from a visit to India,

Duterte said he was not intimidated by “mere” threats, saying that he had been living a “dangerous life” for a long time.

“I’ve been telling you right at the start, when my time comes, it will come. I will stick to what destiny has given. If I go tomorrow, then I go,” the President told reporters.

“Assassination? Kungpanahonko

na,panahonkona (If it’s my time, it’s my time). So I should not be deterred. I should not be discouraged by just mere threats. I’ve lived with it. I’ve been a prosecutor for nine years doing trial work. I live with a—it was a dangerous life then as it is now,” he added.

Duterte issued the statement following was a target of the terror group during his visit to India.

The President, in his previous speeches, has repeatedly warned against the possible retaliation of IS after the Philippine troops defeated the Maute extremist group, which laid siege to Marawi City

India-based The Print, quoting a security agency source, said there were intelligence inputs that “the IS has its people and is planning to strike” against Duterte.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described the threat against Duterte

as “normal” but assured the public that security measures were in place to ensure the President’s safety.

“Normal `yan (It’s normal) for a head of state specially one who has vowed to eradicate ISIS from the Philippines,” Lorenzana said in a text message to TheManila

Times, using another name for IS. “The President is aware of it and his security is doing their job as they should assisted by the PNP (Philippine National Police), AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and all government security forces specially on intel,” he added.

In a separate statement, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Duterte knew all along that he was a target of IS but added that the President was not demoralized.

“After PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) smashed them in Marawi, that’s the least they could do to their nemesis. Threaten him. But we know that. PSG (Presidential Security Group) knows that,” Esperon said.