By LITO RULONA Correspondent FOR the nth time, President Duterte on Sunday threatened to go after New People’s Army rebels, warned officials in government who are into illegal drugs, and lambasted the European Union for supposedly meddling in the country’s affairs because of its pronouncements on his war on drugs. Duterte told reporters at Camp Evangelista here where he visited and distributed assistance to 10 wounded soldiers that he would not hesitate to order NPA camps bombarded by the military, citing the Air Force’s newsly acquired fighter jets. “I will not hesitate to order to blast them off. May mga jet ako, huhulogan ko na lang, and the problem is yung mga civilian. Historically, hindi ginagamit ang air assets but may bago akong jets, and they are capable of destroying everybody there in the camp,” Duterte said. He warned the communist rebels against the collection of revolutionary taxes, demanded that they free soldiers and police officers they have held captive, and stop offensives against government forces. In order for the government to continue with the peace talks, he set these conditions:
  • a signed ceasefire agreement;
  • no more extortion or revolutionary tax collections;
  • the communist rebels cannot claim any territory; and
  • release all captives.
“Pag-may violation, walang peace talks,” Duterte said. Meanwhile, Duterte also warned that officials found to be involved in illegal drug activities would face administrative and criminal charges. He said he also wanted local officials with links to the drug trade to resign. “Nag-warning ako sa inyo--there will be no let-up on [the] war against drug (sic) because if I cannot stop it, I would have doomed my country and [the] next generation,” he said. He reiterated that it was his responsibility to keep the nation protected and safe from what he claimed to be the country’s four million drug addicts. Duterte also repeated his tirades against the European Union. He also repeated his assertion that 40 percent of the country’s barangay officials were into drugs, the reason why he wants the October barangay elections postponed. “Hindi nila alam kung gaano kalalim ang problema,” said Duterte, adding that his war on drugs would continue until the government got the “last pusher and user.”