PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says he wants more Moros and other Filipinos to join the Philippine Military Academy and the Philippine National Police Academy.
Speaking during the graduation rites of the PNPA in Silang, Cavite, on Wednesday, Duterte said the country needed more men who would serve and protect the country and called on the Moros, Ilocanos, Visayans and others to join the PMA or PNPA.
“Not all the Moros of Mindanao are our enemies. Maybe next time there should be a percentage of the Moro people joining the PMA or the PNPA. We need them,” Duterte said.
“Many of the Moro people who were soldiers were there and many died for our country,” he said, citing the battles during the five-month siege of Marawi by terrorists.
“We cannot govern this country by just selecting from the other provinces without looking towards Mindanao. And we need officers trained and we need to work with them in Mindanao,” Duterte said.
“But as a matter of fact, it should be divided among the tribes, the Ilocano, the Bisaya. That ought to be the Philippine National Police.”
Duterte said he would also be looking forward to more police officers coming from the different parts of the country and vowed to try to have the money to enlist them.