Duterte orders authorities to ‘bomb’ fleeing Filipino militants
Philippine President tells Malaysian and Indonesian security forces that they can kill militants fleeing a kidnapping scene even if they are with their hostages.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysian and Indonesian security forces have received the green light to kill Filipino militants fleeing a kidnapping scene.
If the militants have hostages with them, bomb them anyway, said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in a speech on Wednesday, that was reported by the Associated Press.
Duterte allegedly relayed the conversation he had with Prime Minister Najib Razak and Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo, in which he told both leaders’ that their security forces could enter Philippine waters to pursue militants fleeing with the victims they kidnapped.
“Bomb them. If they cannot be captured, you bomb them.
“How about the hostages? Eh, bomb them also.
“They are not supposed to be there, there is a warning,” he was quoted as saying by the international news agency.
The Abu Sayyaf militant group is behind numerous kidnapping-for-ransom incidents around Sabah waters, allegedly to finance their terrorism activities.
They are currently still holding captive more than a dozen Malaysian, Indonesian and other foreign hostages.
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Manila has allowed Malaysian authorities to enter their country’s waters to pursue militants and on Thursday, three were shot dead by security forces.