President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to shoot dead communist rebels and terrorists if they illegally occupy lands and resist arrest.
“If you resist violently, makipag-away ka then my orders to my soldiers and policemen is just simply shoot. And if they are in danger, shoot them dead,” Duterte said during his speech in the Thanksgiving and birthday celebration of former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary, Alan Peter Cayetano on Sunday at the Marco Polo Hotel.
He added that ‘from now on there should be no confiscation of other people’s or somebody else’s property. Do not do that because you are sowing anarchy.’
The President said that these rebels and terrorist are occupying the unfinished projects of the government such as housing projects. He claimed that it is similar to what happened in Negros Occidental where in nine sugar farmers were killed.
“Just what happened in Bacolod, they- after the harvest, there were these original workers then they… And they claim that we are implementing our own land reform,” he said.
He said to the left to never do it again, ‘because I have issued order to the police and the armed forces.’
“If you force to occupy a certain area, just like what happened in Bacolod, I will order your arrest,” he said.
The President has promised to place the province of Negros Occidental under agrarian reform program. Duterte said that he would give the lands to their rightful beneficiaries and there is no need for forcible occupation of properties.
“I will give you all the lands, all of the land of the government except the reservations of the military and police in some cases, the industrial estate but you can have all the mountains there. I will give it to you. You just wait. You do not abuse other people by just going there and swaggering as if you are the owner,” he said.
