Kakasa ang pamahalaan sakaling totohanin ni Moro National Liberation Front founding Chairman Nur Misuari ang banta nitong maglulunsad ng digmaan kapag hindi natuloy ang federalism.

Sinabi ngayong Huwebes ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo na nagpahayag si Pangulong Duterte ng “counter-threat” kay Misuari na silang dalawa ay “die fighting each other” kapag nabigo ang pederalismo.

“May response naman siya, ‘We celebrate if we will succeed.' And as a response to going to war, then ‘We will die fighting each other’,” sabi ni Panelo hinggil sa sagot ng Pangulo sa bantang digmaan ni Misuari.

Eleksyon

'Walang Imee, Camille?' DuterTEN, Honasan, Querubin ineendorso ni FPRRD

"The President's response is also a threat…That's a counter-threat. Ibig sabihin lalabanan kita. ‘Yun ang ibig sabihin ni Presidente. ‘Lalabanan mo gobyerno, eh ‘di labanan din kita’,” sinabi niya sa Palace press briefing.

Ngunit sa ngayon, sinabi ni Panelo na ang magkabilang panig "want peace" at nakatakdang simulan ang diskusyon sa pederalismo.

Sinabi ni Panelo na inalok ng Pangulo ang dalawang partido upang bumuo ng kani-kanilang five-member panels upang talakayin ang pederalismo.

"Whatever the product of that discussion, they will have a one-on-one meeting and then he said, ‘After which we will celebrate for its success and if it fails we will die together.’ That was the response of the President,” wika ni Panelo.

“If he goes to war, then he will be fighting the government. So if he is fighting the government and the head of the government is the President, he would be—they would be fighting with each other," aniya.

Sinabi ni Panelo na "happy" si Misuari sa alok ng Pangulo para sa pederalismo at nagpahayag ng pag-asa na makakamit ito sa kasalukuyang termino.

“He reminded the President that federalism was one of the promises he made to the electorate. And he is confident that within the three years remaining term of the President, federalism would fit in,” dagdag niya.

“Knowing the chairman who has been fighting for a peaceful solution in Mindanao, and knowing the deep, friendly relationship between the two leaders, I am confident that there will be an agreement, a modus vivendi between the two sides and and we will have peace in Mindanao,” aniya.