US Special Forces in Mindanao need to leave Mindanao for better security and safety reasons in the future.
That’s what President Rodrigo Duterte said at the Palace yesterday, indicating another major shift of the country’s foreign relation with its allied country.
Duterte said that US Special Forces leaving Mindanao would lead to their own safety and to avoid increasing tension with the extremist group Abu Sayyaf in strife-torn areas.
“Kaya ‘yang mga special forces [Those special forces], they have to go. They have to go. In Mindanao, maraming mga puti doon [there are lots of white people there],” he said.
Duterte said he wanted to raise this issue at the recently-concluded ASEAN summit but did nto push through to avoid further tensions and misunderstandings with US president Barack Obama.
“I just couldn’t say so out of respect or I do not want a rift with America but they have to go,” he said.
Duterte also added that the American troops are at risk of being victimized by Abu Sayyaf and other terrorists operating group in Mindanao.
“Mas lalong iinit. Pag makakita ng Amerikano, papatayin talaga ‘yan. Kukuha ng ransom, papatayin. Even if you’re black or white American, basta Amerikano,” he said.
[It will get more tense. If they see an American, they will really be killed. They will demand ransom, they will kill them. Even if you’re black or white, as long as you’re American.]
The US troops is still in Mindanao to serve as an advisory capacity among Philippine troops in their counter-insurgency operations there.
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