Duterte policy: Shoot armed thugs

DAVAO CITY—Police would be given a shoot-to-kill policy for armed members of drug syndicates should Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte and his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, win the elections in May and run the government.

“These drug syndicates are armed and will resist arrest. When the lives of the people are endangered, I will give them (police and military) standing orders to shoot these criminals,” Duterte said before hundreds of residents in Coron, Palawan, on Friday.

Duterte, who is running for President, in earlier interviews said people behind illegal drugs are usually armed, and are likely to end up dead in his campaign against drug trafficking.

Duterte, who vowed to stop corruption, illegal drugs and criminality in his first three to six months in office if fated to be the country’s next President, said the drug problem in the country is already rampaging that it has become a threat to national security.

“Addiction is easy money. Once you get it, it’s a done deal, you’re already into eternal addiction. I will not hesitate to use the military and the police and maybe, exercise the extraordinary power of the President (to stop it),” he said in an earlier interview.

“I will recommend to Congress the restoration of death penalty by hanging in public,” Duterte said.

He said he will also propose to Congress the creation of special criminal courts to try drug cases only.

In Palawan on Friday, Duterte said the problem has reached the countryside that illegal drugs are traded in exchange for farm animals like chickens and pigs.

His running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, said illegal drugs has caused “disorder and lack of security in the country.”

The fight against illegal drugs has become Duterte’s battlecry in his presidential bid that, the mayor said, there are groups out to discredit him.

Last week, Duterte said law enforcement operatives from Manila are planning to conduct raids, even set up drug laboratories, to discredit him.

“We do not have a (illegal drugs) laboratory here, but we received reports that they (law enforcement operatives) might fabricate one to discredit me,” Duterte said.

“We have reports that top operatives of PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) are here, and they are out to discredit the city in support of a candidate,” Duterte said.

The mayor warned that if these operatives push through with their plan in conducting raids, planting evidence or setting up a fake “shabu” laboratory, “make sure that your candidate wins.”

Duterte refused to name the presidential candidate behind the alleged plan.

“If I see you carrying shabu— whether you are from the military, police or PDEA—to set us up, I’ll kill you,” he said. Nico Alconaba, Inquirer Mindanao