Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte gives speech to the people of Tabaco City, Albay province during his visit on March 4, 2016, Friday. MARK ALVIC ESPLANA
These are some policemen who would probably refuse to carry out a direct order from their commander in chief.
“He will turn us into vigilantes and that is not acceptable,’’ was how some policemen interviewed by the Inquirer said of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s plans on dealing with criminals.
Duterte, who is running on a platform of eradicating criminality and illegal drugs in six months, has said that he will use all law enforcement agencies and the military to achieve his objective.
The mayor, who transformed Davao City into a supposed crime-free showcase, said that if he becomes president, he would order the police and the military to kill criminals and when complaints are filed against the law enforcers, he will point to himself as the one who ordered it.
No different from criminals
The policemen, who agreed to be interviewed on the condition they not be identified, said Duterte’s avowed anticrime policies would encourage extrajudicial killings.
“We were trained to follow the law. When we violate it like the criminals, then we are no different from them,’’ said one police officer.
But at least one policy pronouncement of Duterte met with favor from the policemen. In a campaign rally in Pangasinan last week, Duterte again announced his plan to increase policemen’s salaries. But he said the pay increases should be reciprocated by the police with discipline and hard work.
“We hope it can really be done, but we are aware that there are also existing laws to follow to implement salary increases. We really hope Duterte will honor his campaign promise. We hope it’s not all politics,’’ said the police officer.
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