Well, if they are a perennial problem, it even more surely doesn’t sound like the estimable Mr. Duterte kissing up to them is going to end well. It wouldn’t matter if it’s for a helping little old ladies across the street program. How’s he going to answer at the end when, if successful, they chorus “You owe us big time now, Mr. D?”
Well, he is right now offering the olive branch while slaughtering them.
I assume you are aware enough of the Philippines no know that much of the drug trade has long been run by the Muslims right? It is they who are the majority of the drug dealers.
So Duarte’s move (to those who have lived in the region) is clearly stating that they aren’t being killed because of Islam (though pursuing jihad by selling drugs to infidels in order to finance terrorism may be why they are dealing drugs) but because of the drugs.
If you are aware of the underlying culture (which western journalists generally are not, nor do they deign to learn if enlightened) a lot of things fall into place.