Duterte clarifies bombing threat on Lumad schools: I won’t kill students

Again, don't take President Rodrigo Duterte too literally. 

Duterte, Malacañang, and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines all issued clarifications on the President's threat to bomb lumad schools allegedly fomenting rebellion.

Duterte on Thursday night reiterated to reporters in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental that he would not bomb the Lumad schools if students are still inside them.

"Wala akong sinabi na bombahan ko 'yang may tao kaya sinabi ko umalis kayo diyan. Ibig sabihin, sisirain ko 'yan because you are using a school without a license from the Department of Education," Duterte said.

"Hindi ko sinabi patayin ko 'yung mga bata. Far from it actually. Librehin ko ang bata sa perdition ninyo because they will learn to be pareho sa inyo," he added.

Duterte said that he needed to stop these schools because the students turn out hating and fighting the government.

"Sisirain ko 'yan kasi ginagamit ninyong eskwelahan para... to destroy the mental attitude, the mental health of the children. They grow up there hating government and going to war pagka malaki na," Duterte said. 

"You are perpetuating the violence in this country and I have to stop it. I have every reason to stop it because you are producing another generation of haters. Huwag mo akong bolahin. Wala kayong tinuturo diyan kung 'di 'yang socialism pati patayan," he added.

AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla also defended Duterte's statement on bombing lumad schools. He said Duterte was not planning to destroy a community.

"Actually, kinakailangan mainintidihan niyo po ‘yung pananalita ng ating mahal na Pangulo. Binanggit niya po ‘yun pero hindi naman po talagang gagawin ‘yun na bobombahin mo ‘yung eskwelahan dahil may mga bata pa diyan ‘no," Padilla said.

"He wants to communicate a strong position against those behind the organizations of these illegal learning institutions. So kung ano man ang hakbang na kailangan gawin ng ating Armed Forces, gagawin natin ‘to pero hindi sa ganoon klaseng paraan," he added. —NB/KVD, GMA News