Headquarters Philippine Army Grandstand, Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig City
December 13, 2017
“Congratulations to the officers and men of the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police for simply doing their duty to protect our nation,” said President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as he graced the ceremonial demilitarization of captured, confiscated, surrendered and recovered (CCSR) firearms during the Marawi rebellion, and the awarding of the Order of Lapu-Lapu ‘Kamagi’ and ‘Kampilan’ medals to over a hundred soldiers at the Headquarters Philippine Army (HPA) Grandstand in Fort Andres Bonifacio, Taguig City.
In his speech, the President spoke about his recent dismissal of all top officials of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) due to unsatisfactory performance and for the several overseas trips made by PCUP Commissioner Terry Ridon and his other officials.
President Duterte also talked about how the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People’s Army (NPA) evolved from being rebels into terrorists due to their continued depredation and killing of innocent civilians, adding to the necessity of the continued imposition of martial law in Mindanao.
“If you continue to sow terror, tapos maghingi kayo nang maghingi, kompetensiya kayo sa gobyerno, as if you’re also a duly authorized accredited tax collector, walang mangyayari sa bayan,” said the President, slamming the CPP-NPA for their continued extortion of rural farmers and businessmen, thus slowing down growth and development in the agricultural sector.
He also discussed how the new General Appropriations Act (GAA) would give more tangible assets to the military for use in the development of their services and for the benefit of soldiers. The President further expressed his willingness to provide scholarship to the children of military men and women for their families’ welfare.
The event featured a demilitarization ceremony showcasing the crushing of CCSR firearms with a road roller, collected by the Army Support Command (ASCOM) personnel for cutting, and was presented to President Duterte for inspection.
* * *