Duterte: Drugs prevalent in Batangas province, Lucena City

President Rodrigo Duterte. (File photo by ARMAN BAYLON / Presidential Photographers Division)

MANILA, Philippines — Illegal drugs are prevalent in the province of Batangas and in Lucena City in the province of Quezon, President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday.

The President made the remark during the campaign rally of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Batangas City.

Please do not be offended. This is for the country and I’m singling out any person here. I talk in general terms. Lucena and Batangas right now appear to be with a red flag in the map of the drug scene,” he said, speaking partly in Filipino.

Last month, Duterte exposed 46 politicians with alleged links to the illegal drug trade, which include three mayors Roderick Alcala of Lucena, Mayor Eulalio Mendoza Alilio of Lemery in Batangas, and Juan Valencia Toreja of Ibaan in Batangas.

READ: Duterte exposes 46 ‘narco politicians’

In the same speech, the President again warned that his administration would continue to hunt down drug suspects.

“You have been red-flagged. So tomorrow we’re going to harvest again. I’d be happy to kill criminals,” he said.

He said the last sentence in Filipino: “Kaligaya ko na lang pumatay ng mga kriminal.”

/atm