(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte is a target of the Islamic State during his official trip to India, a publication from the Philippines’ neighboring country said.
But Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President–who is slated to attend Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi today—remained unfazed despite the report published by The Print.
“(President Duterte) will not cower to threats from ISIS nor any other terrorist groups,” Roque said.
According to the presidential spokesperson, the President was still “unmoved by this latest threat and will be unrelenting in his fight against violent extremism.”
He said Duterte “has pledged to serve the Filipino people and has left the issue of his mortality to the Creator.”
Even then, Roque said “all precautions…are being taken by the PSG (Presidential Security Group) and Indian authorities.”
“Security arrangements by both PSG and Indian police are in place. We will all be there for and with him,” he said.
Quoting sources, the report said “Duterte’s agenda to militarily wipe out Islamist extremism from the state of Mindanao—along with killing Isnilon Hapilon, leader of Abu Sayyaf and emir of the IS in Southeast Asia in the city of Marawi—has provoked (ISIS) to mobilize sleeper cells based in Indonesia, which are now planning a strike.”
“Duterte is coming with baggage, as he has been very vocal about wiping out IS,” The Print quoted a security agency source as saying.
For this the report cited Duterte’s pronouncements he would not allow the international terrorist group to “make the Philippines its base in Southeast Asia,” and his hard stance against the Abu Sayyaf, “a faction that aims to create an Islamic Caliphate in the Philippines,” among others.