PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s strongman tactics in trying to resolve the extremist crisis in the country’s south was “partly to blame for the escalation” of the now ongoing conflict with the Maute group in Marawi City, a New York Times editorial said.
Malacañang, however, told the celebrated newspaper to “see the whole picture” after it pinned blame on Duterte’s provocation to IS-inspired groups on December last year to proceed with their threats to raze Marawi into ashes and calls to “restart negotiations with militant groups.”
“[The] media and to the public at large have to understand the context and … it is really best to view it and see the entire picture,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told state radio dzRB on Saturday.
“First, it is the interest really of the President, the foremost intention of the President is peace within our borders. Peace, especially within Mindanao,” he said.
Citing Duterte’s pronouncements, Abella said that while the President doesn’t want to “wage war against my own countrymen,” he, however, insisted that violence in the south “has to end.”
“Malinaw pong sinabi niya na hindi naman siya pwedeng patuloy na pabalik-balik doon and every month makikipag-usap, pagtalikod niya patayan nanaman [It is clear that he said he doesn’t want to keep in coming back to Mindanao every month to talk peace and then the fighting continues after he leaves],” Abella said, in defense of Duterte. Despite Duterte’s braggadocio, Abella said that everything that he said had a purpose.
“Let us give the President enough credit ‘no. Na he was also ano—hindi siya basta nakikipag-away lang. Syempre hindi naman alam ng ibang tao ‘yan, lalo na ‘yung mga nakikinig lang sa peryodiko, sa media, at namimili lang sila ng gusto nilang pakinggan [He’s not the kind of man who only wants to quarrel. Some people don’t realize that, especially those who only read the newspapers and the media outfit that they choose to listen to],” Abella said.
“Pero sa totoo lang po, ang Presidente natin ay maka-Pilipino at lagi po niyang interes ang safety, lalo ng Christians and Muslims alike. Hindi po siya nakikipag-matigasan ang ulo. Hindi po. May konteksto po ‘yan. It is always the public safety, it is always the public interest [The truth is, our President is pro-Filipino and his main interest is the safety of both Christians and Muslims. He’s not being stubborn for the sake of being stubborn. The context is always public safety, public interest],” he added.
In a piece titled “How ISIS Grew in the Philippines” published Friday, June 15, the newspaper blamed Duterte’s braggadocio “for the escalation of the conflict.”
The NY Times cited Duterte’s statement in December last year, wherein he dared the Maute local terrorist group to “go ahead, do it” after they earlier threatened to “go down upon Marawi to burn the place.”
The editorial likewise said Duterte’s “strongman tactics” and his threat to extend the declaration of martial law nationwide “will not address the fundamental problems that have fueled militant movements on Mindanao since the 1970s: grinding poverty; lawless zones, where criminal gangs reign; and overcrowded prisons, which are a boon to Islamist recruiters.”
“The most urgent need now is to ratchet down the fight in Marawi and press Mr. Duterte to restart negotiations with militant groups,” it said, as it urged Duterte to “restart negotiations with militant groups.”
“While President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines was bragging about his brutal war on drugs, the Islamic State was consolidating its sway over Islamist rebel groups on the island of Mindanao,” the NY Times said.
“The extent to which ISIS has succeeded is now alarmingly evident, as a pitched battle between Philippine troops and Islamist militants for control of the largely Muslim city of Marawi enters its fourth week,” it added.
Malacanang earlier accused the New York Times of colluding with ouster plots against the administration amid previous editorial pieces titled “Donald Trump Embraces Another Despot” and “Let the World Condemn Duterte,” a news feature called “Becoming Duterte: The Making of a Philippine Strongman,” and a video documentary “When A President Says, I’ll Kill You”—all criticizing his bloody drug war.