The Philippine president flew to the country’s volatile south on Friday to plead with military forces not to retaliate following the fatal police shootings of four soldiers, including two officers, in violence the army chief called “a rubout.” President Rodrigo Duterte pledged an impartial government investigation of Monday’s violence in southern Jolo town and promised in a late-night address to military commanders, including army generals, that anyone found guilty will be punished. Duterte asked commanders to ensure their forces remain calm and added that police, like government troops, perform a vital role in maintaining law and order.
