Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
A local tourist who violated Davao City’s anti-smoking ordinance reportedly swallowed a cigarette butt after being reprimanded by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte himself.
In a Facebook post, former North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol, who has been urging Duterte to run for president in 2016, said the tourist “insisted on smoking” inside a restaurant owned by a friend of Duterte last month during the Kadayawan Festival celebration.
“Told by the restaurant owner that smoking inside public places is prohibited in Davao City, the smoker defiantly asked: ‘On whose orders? Bakit, pera ba ni Duterte ang binibili ko ng sigarilyo?,’ the smoker reportedly told the restaurant owner when informed that Mayor Duterte is very strict in implementing the Anti-Smoking Ordinance in the city,” Piñol wrote.
Citing sources “close to Duterte,” Piñol said the tourist’s arrogant response prompted the restaurant owner to alert the police and asked them to personally inform the mayor regarding the incident.
“When Duterte walked into the restaurant a few minutes later, the arrogant smoker turned ashen-faced and immediately dropped his cigarette and stepped on it,” Piñol said.
“Witnesses said Duterte calmly sat beside the smoker, pulled out a snub-nosed .38 revolver and poked it at the man’s crotch. ‘Papiliin kita: barilin ko ang bayag mo, i-preso kita o kainin mo ang upos ng sigarilyo mo,’ Duterte reportedly told the smoker,” he added.
Piñol said the smoker picked up his cigarette butt and swallowed it after apologizing to Duterte.
Duterte also reportedly told the tourist to “never ever challenge the law” before leaving the restaurant. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/JE