Camp General Artemio G. Ricarte, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
April 6, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte culminated his military camp visit with a talk to the men and women of the Tactical Wing and Naval Force of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Command (WESCOM) at Camp General Artemio G. Ricarte in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

During his talk, the President vowed to give furnished housing units, with available water and electricity supply, to the military personnel and officers as some of the units were given to the members of the Kadamay group who refused to leave the houses allocated supposedly to them.

“If this will continue, tapos hintuin ng mga sundalo at pulis, baka may mapatay pa diyan. So nakikiusap na ako sa inyo as your President na ibigay na lang natin sa kanila, sa Kadamay. And do not worry because I will give you a better one,” he said.

The Commander-in-Chief also assured to provide Glock 30 units and a caliber .45 ACP to all of them to ‘bolster the sense of security and vigilance’ of the military. He even gave a unit of handgun to Jenela Cambronero, a nurse from the WESCOM’s Camp General Artemio Ricarte Station Hospital.

President Duterte also discussed the resumption of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). According to him, the peace talks will be sustained as long as there is no claim of territory, no revolutionary taxation, and the other party must release all the soldiers, policemen, and civilians from their hands.

The President ended his speech by assuring to serve the interest and welfare of the people as his sole priority being the highest leader of the land.

“I, the President, must preserve and protect the Filipino nation. Hanggang diyan lang ako… The beginning and end, ang aking term as President is always public interest and nothing more. No second, no higher. Hanggang diyan lang ako… I will do what is best for my country,” he concluded.

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