Duterte to send erring cops to Basilan

President Rodrigo Duterte (lower right corner) addresses 264 policemen who have allegedly committed offenses while in uniform. Director General Ronald Dela Rosa escorted the policemen to Malacañang Tuesday afternoon purportedly to clean up the Pasig River. NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.NET

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered erring policemen to be reassigned to war-torn Basilan for two years.

“Bata pa naman kayo lahat. Kailangan ko ng pulis sa South. Kulang ang pulis sa Basilan kasi maya’t-maya pinagpaputok-putok ‘yung mga istasyon doon. Nauubos. Kayo lahat ngayon nandito, kasali kayo sa Task Force South. Padala ko kayo sa Basilan,” Duterte told 228 policemen in Malacañang.

(You are all young. I need policemen in the South. There is a lack of policemen in Basilan so the stations there are bombed every now and then. The policemen are dwindling. All of you hee are included in the Task Force South. I will send you to Basilan.)

“Tumira kayo doon ng mga dalawang taon. Kung lumusot kayo buhay, balik kayo dito. Kung doon kayo mamatay, sabihin ko sa pulis, huwag na magastos na para dalhin pa kayo dito, doon na kayo ilibing,” he added.

(Live there for two years. If you make it alive, return here. If you die there, I will tell the police not to spend bringing your remains here, you will be buried there.)

In a speech peppered with expletives, the President said the policemen could refuse their new assignment but should resign from service or they would face dismissal.

“If you do not want to go there, go to your superior officer and tell them that you’re going to resign. Otherwise, ayaw ninyo hanapan ko kayo ng mali. Kasi kaya kayo nandito mga g*** kayo eh. So meron talaga akong masilip (you don’t want me to look for your faults. You are all here because you are stupid. I could really find your faults). Either I will dismiss you,” he said.

Duterte earlier refused the recommendation of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to retrain the erring policemen.

“Hindi ako mag-retraining. Ano ang i-retraining ko sa inyo? Tapos na ang training n’yo araw-araw. Ang i-retraining ko ang utak ninyo (I won’t order a retraining. What would be your retraining? Your training is done everyday. Your brains should be retrained),” he said. RAM/rga

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