Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte sent a stern warning that if peace is not found between the MILF and others, there will be renewed hostilities in Mindanao.
“Let this be a fair warning to our national leaders. The indicators of an eruption of violence in Central Mindanao area are becoming very evident,” Duterte said Friday.
“Remember that if there is a breakdown in the peace negotiations, we, in Mindanao, will be the first ones who will suffer and it is sad that nobody in Manila seems to realize this,” he said.
Mayor Duterte and his entourage were still on their ‘listening tour’ advocating the shift form presidential to a federal parliament style government.
In recent news it is also learned that some Christian vigilante groups in Mindanao are readying themselves in preparation for the expected rampage of the Bangsmoro rebel groups – the group is arming themselves in the event.
Duterte said the situation today is no longer the same as in the 1970s when the Moro rebel groups were equipped with World War II style vintage guns.
Today, the MILF and the BIFF possess sophisticated weaponry which could match the firepower of the AFP, Deturte warned.
He cited the Mamasapano, Maguindanao massacre where the MILF and BIFF forces have seized modern and heavy armaments including 90RRs and M-60 machineguns with night vision scopes from the fallen SAF commandos.
Duterte said President Aquino should regain control of the situation and come up with a security plan to address the expected eruption of trouble in Central Mindanao. He also suggested an on-going Congressional and Senate investigation into the entire debacle.
“The people involved in the televised investigation of the Mamasapano incident may not really care, but we who live in Mindanao and who have experienced the horrors of the conflict are getting scared, but nobody is even thinking of what the government would do in case violence erupts again in Mindanao,” Duterte said.