“These people are like germs which must be eliminated,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol quoted President Rodrigo Duterte as saying about the Abu Sayyaf (ASG). And Duterte wants no less than total annihilation for ASG, even to the extent of hiring mercenaries like the Gurkhas of Nepal.
In a Facebook post, Piñol said on Sunday that Duterte mulled on this out of fury for the recent terror attacks of the ASG. Particularly, Duterte was pissed off by the bomb attack in Davao City last Friday where 14 innocent civilians were killed (a child included) and at least 60 seriously injured.
“If I have to hire the Gurkhas to help us fight the Abu Sayyaf, I am willing to do it,” Duterte said during the meeting held at Enclaves in Matina, as quoted by Piñol who was also in the meeting.
The president met with some cabinet members and security officials that started Saturday night and ended at dawn the following day.
[ads1]
According to Piñol, the Gurkhas of Nepal became famous during the Anglo-Nepalese War or Gurkha War in 1814 which ended in 1816. The British invading forces respected the fierce fighting Gurkhas in that event. The Gurkhas was said to be similar to the French Legion of 1831, which was acceptable to the Geneva Convention, although it operated as a quasi-mercenary group.
In his earlier pronouncements, the president had considered the Abu Sayyaf and similar extremist groups as “products of historical injustices.” But with their recent terrorism—beheading kidnap victims and bomb attacks—the president said he had no other recourse but to use force.
“There’s no other option. These people are like germs, which must be eliminated. You started this. I wanted to talk to you but you leave me with no choice,” Duterte said, as quoted by Piñol.
“The President, who was obviously hurting from the terror attack (when he said this)… called on the nation to prepare for reprisals from the terror group similar to the bombing at Davao City’s Roxas (Avenue),” Piñol added.
Piñol also opined that “The bombing in Davao City (on Friday evening) served as the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back,” giving way to the President’s new stance on ASG terrorism.
In a bid to wipe out ASG, some 10,000 government troops have been sent to Sulu. The campaign has killed 30 ASG bandits but left 15 AFP soldiers dead. The ASG has been waging its terror and banditry in the islands of Jolo and Basilan and other remote parts of Mindanao since 1991.
Sources: (newsinfo.inquirer.net, en.wikipedia.org, facebook.com)
[ads3]
