(Eagle News) — In this video interview of President Rodrigo Duterte by blogger and now Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson, he tells fellow Filipinos to not be too scared, as he is coming home to Manila from Russia later today to deal harshly with the Maute terrorists who had sown fear in Marawi City.
He said he had been forced to declare martial law in Mindanao because of these recent terrorist activities of the Maute group which had earlier pledged allegiance to the ISIS.
Martial law in the “entire Mindanao region” was declared 10 p.m. Manila time Tuesday (May 23) through an announcement made by Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella while still in Moscow, Russia.
Duterte said he does not know how long martial law in Mindanao would be, but added it could be over in a month if he could solve the terrorist problem within that period.
He said he was sad that this had to happen.
The following is the transcript of President Duterte’s message to Filipinos in an interview by Uson while on the plane on his flight back to Manila:
“Mga kababayan natin do not be too scared.
I’m going home. I’m cutting my visit here to be with my countrymen, and I will deal with the problem once I arrive.
But let me just tell everybody that I have declared martial law for Mindanao. How long?
Well… if it will take a year to do it, then we’ll do it. If it will be over within a month, then, we’d be happy.
“But ang martial law is martial law ha. Kayong mga kababayan ko, you have experienced martial law. It will not be any different with what President Marcos did.
I’d be harsh. I was asked one time, during the campaign doon sa La Salle, I was asked how I would deal with terrorism. I said I will be harsh
Sinabi ko nga sa lahat do not force my hand into it. I have to do it to preserve the Republic of the Philippines and the Filipino people.”
Duterte, along with his high-level delegation including his top military and police officials, is expected to arrive back in the country Wednesday night (May 24) Manila time.
