Duterte wary of ‘Arab missionaries’ in Mindanao, fears ISIS entry in PH

President Rodrigo Duterte (CDN/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

ZAMBOANGA CITY — President Duterte expressed apprehension over what he called a looming crisis, which he described as the “ISIS disease.”

“I see a looming problem, three to seven years from now, we will have a problem on ISIS,” Mr. Duterte said during a visit at Camp Sang-an in Labangan town in Zamboanga del Sur on Wednesday afternoon.

The President said he had observed a number of Arabs in Mindanao for missionary work.

“Some parts of the islands of Mindanao, there are white people. I suppose they are Arabs, and they are here as missionaries. They are not armed, but they are here for indoctrination, that’s what I’m afraid of,” Mr. Duterte said.

He likened the missionaries’ existence as that of the communist movement’s political officers who entered communities to brainwash residents.

Duterte described the ISIS as an infectious disease that could contaminate the Moro rebel groups.

“And we have problems with Muslim insurgency, and we have to address them before they get contaminated by the ISIS disease,” the President said.

“There is something wrong in their minds, and about killing people and without question or reason.  Women who refused to have sex with them, they burn them.  They burn people to death without any reason at all,” Mr. Duterte added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has repeatedly said there is no ISIS in the country.  SFM