Duterte blasts Kadamay, leftist groups

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte lashed out at leftists, including members of urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), for insulting him and even burning his effigy during protest rallies.

Displeased by the way he is portrayed in protest rallies, Duterte issued an ultimatum to Kadamay to stop occupying government housing projects intended for police officers and soldiers.

“I will give you until noon tomorrow (Friday). Get out or I will order the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) to go in. If you fight it out and you get killed, it’s your problem,” Duterte said in Filipino.

“If you carry firearms and get killed, that would be for all,” he said.

Duterte directed the PNP-SAF to augment anti-riot policemen in dealing with Kadamay, even as the group failed in its attempt to enter housing units in Rodriguez in Rizal last Wednesday.

After the failed attempt, Kadamay members have holed up near the National Housing Authority (NHA) at Quezon Memorial Circle to air their grievances against the government.

Duterte issued his warning during the oath-taking of newly elected barangay chairmen of Region 4-A at the Sta. Rosa Sports Complex in Sta. Rosa in Laguna on Thursday night.

“Mukha ko sinusunog ninyo, tapos manghingi ka sa akin ng bahay, gago ka ba? Kayong mga left, sinusunog ninyo… ito may State of the National Address (SONA), gawain ninyo yan pero wag kayo maghingi ng tulong sa akin (You burn my effigy, but you ask for houses from me, are you crazy? You leftist groups, you burn…especially during SONA, so don’t ask anything from me),” Duterte said.  

Protesters have burned the President’s effigy during his SONA in the past two years.

“I have the police and the military (at my disposal), and I ordered them to maintain peace and order in this country. If something happens to you, that’s your problem,” he added.

Duterte expressed displeasure at the actuations of left-leaning groups, reportedly urinating on his effigy to show their dissatisfaction with his administration. 

“You urinate (and burn my effigy), and you ask help, son of a b****! That’s your problem,” he said.

The visibly irritated Chief Executive said he is not intimidated by the protesters.

“Sino ang tinatakot ninyo? Ako?  Wala na akong election na tutuparin… Bahala sila kung manalo ang kandidato or hindi (Who are you trying to scare? Me? I don’t have an election to win… It’s up to them if candidates will win or lose),” Duterte said. “Do not f!@# with me because I was once also like you.”

“Let us be clear on that. I will not give you (the time of) day here. You have demonstrations, that’s freedom of expression, I will allow you,” he said.

“But if you ask help from me, go to Kuwait. Work there… (Then) you burn my (effigy) and urinate. Now, lay down on the road first, and I will urinate on your faces,” Duterte told the leftists.

But the leader of Kadamay yesterday clarified that there was no occupation of the idle housing units.

Kadamay national chair Gloria Arellano said their members just “guarded” some of the houses, which she claimed were given to beneficiaries who do not belong to their group.

She added that their members were worried they would lose their slots as nobody from the NHA has talked to them.

Arellano slammed the NHA for the slow process of acquiring the houses.

Meanwhile, police are readying a criminal complaint against Kadamay, a police official said yesterday.

Senior Supt. Lou Evangelista, Rizal police director, said they are preparing a case of trespassing against the officials and members of the group.

Evangelista told The STAR that the complainants would be NHA and the homeowners’ association of the government housing project.

For his part, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito yesterday said there is no such thing as a free housing program in the country under the Constitution.

Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement, lamented that the group again forcibly occupied scores of government housing units.

The committee recently held hearings on the state of government housing programs for the poor and the proposed Department of Housing where the complaints of Kadamay were aired, he said. – With Ed Amoroso, Paolo Romero, Emmanuel Tupas