President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. ARMAN BAYLON/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Some opposition senatorial candidates asked why President Rodrigo Duterte “wanted to silence” dismissed Sr. Supt. Eduardo Acierto, saying this could mean that the latter’s allegations were true.
At a press conference after the endorsement of People’s Choice Movement (PCM) in Greenhills, San Juan City, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said: “Kung hindi naman totoo ‘yung sinasabi ni Acierto bakit gusto niyang mamatay?”
“If there’s really no truth to what he’s saying, why does the President implicitly wants to silence him? We need to have a full-blown investigation,” the Otso Diretso senatorial bet added.
READ: Duterte tells Acierto: You are a ‘f*****’ idiot
Opposition candidates reacted as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino affirmed on Wednesday that Michael Yang, Duterte’s former economic adviser, had been cleared of illegal drug links.
READ: PDEA chief clears ex-Duterte adviser Michael Yang of drug links
In a speech in Koronadal City, South Cotabato on Tuesday, the Chief Executive said he wanted to ask the military and police why Acierto was still alive.
While stressing that he was trying to remove corrupt officials in government, Duterte berated Acierto whom he said imported 1,000 AK-47 rifles and allegedly delivered the firearms to New People’s Army rebels fighting soldiers and policemen.
He then said, “Huwag kayo maniwala dito, lalo na ito si Acierto ito nga ‘yung sa… tanungin ko kaya military at saka police bakit buhay pa ‘yang pu********* ‘yan.”
(Do not believe Acierto. I want to ask the military and the police why this son of a b**** is still alive.)
READ: Duterte asks military, police: Why is Acierto still alive?
This came after Acierto surfaced on Sunday and bared that presidential economic adviser Michael Yang and a Chinese national Allan Lim “have involvement in the drug trade.”
READ: Ex-cop linked to P11-B ‘shabu’ smuggling fears for life
Impeachment offense
Former solicitor general Florin Hilbay meanwhile pointed out that an “indirect order to kill” could be an impeachable offense, but he thinks the statement would just be downplayed as a joke.
“That’s an indirect order to kill… and that is an impeachable offense… Kapag tintrato mo ng seryoso sasabihin joke lang… Whether it’s serious or just a joke, that kind of language contributes to the culture of impunity,” Hilbay said.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano maintained that Acierto’s allegations – which “puts serious doubts on the credibility of the drug war” – should be investigated.
READ: Opposition bets pressure admin: Probe ex-cop’s exposès
“Dalawa po ‘yan, either hindi nila alam at na-penetrate ang highest echelons ng ating bansa or kakuntsaba ang gobyernong ito sa pagpaabot ng toneladang droga sa Pilipinas,” the former Marine officer said.
“Pag sinabi niya bakit buhay pa ‘yan, ibig sabihin totoong pinapapatay nya. Inuutusan nya ang miltary at pulis na pumatay kaya hindi coincidence na libu-libo na ang namamatay dahil nagmura lang siya sa publiko,” he added.
Marawi civic leader and peace advocate Samira Gutoc meanwhile said Duterte should stop from his “cowboy language,” and start addressing the illegal drug trade by going after big-time drug syndicates.
“The cowboy language is not what we need right now… I continue to call on the President to stop this tokhang war, reckless, without a protection mechanism for victims… It should be about prosecution, not about knocking and killing people on their doorsteps,” Gutoc said.
Another PCM endorsee, Makabayan senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares, for his part, warned the “sycophants” who blindly follow Duterte’s wishes.
“Ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Duterte ay full of sycophants… May message ‘yan sa sycophants… kaya napaka-dangerous ng mga public statements na ‘yan,” Colmenares pointed out.
“Pero ito naman ang warning sa sycophants: Presidents come and go. In a few years’ time wala na dyan si President Duterte and people will really assert the justice that they so richly deserve,” he added.
The PCM, a group of individual leaders coming mostly from different faith-based organizations from the Catholic, evangelical and protestant communities in the country, earlier endorsed Diokno, Hilbay, Alejano, Gutoc, Colmenares, as well as incumbent Sen. Bam Aquino, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, incumbent Sen. Grace Poe, former Sen. Mar Roxas, and former congressman Erin Tañada. /cbb
READ: People’s Choice Movement endorses ‘10 best senatorial bets’
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