Duterte: Maute matriarch wanted to talk

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said the mother of alleged terrorist leaders wanted to talk amid the ongoing clashes between government troops and the Maute group in Marawi City.

“Kaya sabi nila na mag-usap iyong nanay ni Maute, sabi ko, ‘No, I will not.’ I will not talk anymore kasi marami na ang sundalo ko namatay. Marami na ang pulis ko namatay. P— ina, huwag mo akong bolahin diyan usap-usap na ‘yan. Not anymore,” Duterte told troops of the 1st Mechanized Infantry (Maasahan) Brigade at Camp Leono in Tacurong City.

“Pagkatapos diyan mag-usap tayo. Right after. ‘Pag naubos silang lahat diyan then I will talk to the new generation. Sabi ko, ‘Maranao man tayo, sige mag-usap tayong mabuti,’” he added.

Duterte did not provide any more details about the talks that he already nixed. But he expressed anew his anger towards those who allowed foreign ideology to influence them and destroy Marawi City.

“Galit talaga ako sa kanila diyan sa Marawi na ‘yan kung bakit ‘yung mga Maranao pinayagan ‘yung mga tao, pinapapasok doon at manggulo and bringing a very corrupt ideology,” he said.

“Bakit sisirain mo ‘yung lugar mo? G— pala kayo eh. Bakit ka magdala doon ng mga ISIS? They are foreign, ang gawa nila doon magpatay ng tao tapos magsira ng --- ‘yun lang. And they expect us to talk to them,” he added.

Authorities previously identified the mother of Omar and Abdullah Maute as Farhana Maute. Police and soldiers in December 2016 searched the five houses of the Maute matriarch in Marawi City after his sons’ ISIS-inspired group tried to take over Butig, Lanao del Sur.

Meanwhile, the Maute brothers’ father, Cayamora Maute, was nabbed at a checkpoint in Davao City on Tuesday morning. He arrested along with his with his second wife Kongan Alfonso Balawag, daughter Norjannah Balawag Maute, and son-in-law Benzarali Tingao. — RSJ, GMA News