DAVAO CITY (June 14) — Again! President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his call to the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender as he offers shelter and livelihood on Thursday (June 13).
In a speech before the recipients of certificates of land ownership awards (CLOAs) in Soccsksargen (Region XII), Duterte said his government is ready to accept the rebels who want to drop their arms and return to the mainstream society.
Time is ticking, according to Duterte, saying he might end his dialogue with them soon whether they agree with government of not.
According to Duterte, the communist fighting capabiity has weakened and they cannot go on fighting with government as their logistics is decreasing including their food.
“To the communists, come down here. I’ll give you a small condo. The same condo that I allot for the military and police,” he told the members of the NPA in his renewed offer. “But it’s a house that you can live in. It’s habitable so to speak,” he said.
It won’t be easy for the communists to surrender but the President said he believes they will slowly come down from the mountains.
Once they surrender, Duterte want them to avail skills training to make them productive through a training from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Giving land to the landless, according to Duterte is the government’s commitment, a commitment which he said he can deliver.
The cry for land distribution has been the battlecry of the communist, but according to Duterte, it is only government which can make it happen.
On Thursday, Duterte distributed 12,548 CLOAs in Soccsksargen, which is expected to benefit 13,585 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
Soccsksargen is composed of four provinces and one city: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City.
The distribution, according to Duterte, is the realization of his promise to give land to the landless.
He also instructed Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) for the speedy implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms or CARPER.
The CLOAs distributed Thursday covered lands located in four provinces of Soccsksargen that include those in North Cotabato with 9,419.7459 hectares; Sarangani, 1,393.0000 hectares; South Cotabato, 3,142.9546 hectares; and Sultan Kudarat, 3,364.2370 hectares.-NewsLine.ph
