Duterte visits soldiers wounded in Mindanao blasts

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte confers the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan on one of the wounded soldiers he visited at Camp Siongco Station Hospital on December 23, 2019. Joining the President is Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday visited soldiers who were wounded after a series of blasts rocked Central Mindanao on Sunday.

Photos released by Malacañang showed Duterte personally checking the condition of wounded-in-action (WIA) soldiers at the Camp Siongco Station Hospital in Maguindanao.

His visit took place after he led the distribution of the certificates of land ownership award (CLOA) to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries coming from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The President conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan on the soldiers.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu is given to those “deserving of merit and recognition and to fully express the President’s appreciation of the Filipino people’s contributions to the success of the campaigns and the programs of the government.”

He also extended assistance to their families.

Reports showed that at least 23 individuals, including nine soldiers, were wounded in the series of explosions, nine days before martial law in Mindanao expires on December 31.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier condemned the attacks, assuring that the government would “pursue the perpetrators” and “crush all evil forces or enemies of the state, as well as their supporters.”

“Any attempt to sow fear, hatred, and violence is doomed to fail,” Panelo said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) suspected the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to be behind the explosions.

The BIFF is an offshoot of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is now in power in the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The BARMM replaces the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law that is anchored on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro government inked between the national government and the MILF in 2014.

Despite the explosions, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will not recommend an extension of martial law in Mindanao.

Earlier, Duterte said he was willing to allow the BARMM to have its armed forces to “kill terrorists” who threatened the region’s development.

“To be honest, when you are already evolved into something regional and you have your own armed forces or police, I will agree to let you bear arms.

But you know you have to kill the terrorists,” he said during the distribution of CLOAs in Cotabato City.

Panelo later clarified that the BARMM used to have a security force overseen by the AFP and the PNP.