Sen. Grace Poe-Llamanzares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
“Hindi lang po patayan ang solusyon palagi (Killing is not always the solution),” presidential aspirant Grace Poe said on Tuesday, an apparent swipe at her rival Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s stance against criminality and illegal drugs.
Duterte is now the frontrunner in pre-election surveys, the spot that Poe used to hold until the latest results of the Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia surveys were released this week.
“Hindi tayo magtitiis nang matagal. Ang kailangan lang ay organisado, ang kailangan lang ay makatarungan; sapagkat kung nagkamali tayo sa ating desisyon at may naapektuhang isang inosente, hindi na po matatapos ang gulo,” she said.
(We won’t have to endure any longer. All that is needed is to be organized, what is needed is to be just; because if we are wrong in our decision and an innocent person is affected, then there would be no end to the chaos.)
Poe also made a similar pitch when she called for justice, and not violence, during the rally of her Partido Galing at Puso in Calamba, Laguna Monday night.
READ: Poe opts for justice, reward system in fighting crime
In her speech in Surigao City, Poe stressed the need to address peace and order in the country.
“Peace and order is very important. Some people doubt my capability because I am a woman. On the other hand, women are inherently strong. We’re just not boastful. We’re just not impulsive. I’m sorry, men, but I’m not saying all men are. I’m just saying mostly women are very patient—mapagtimpi po ang mga babae,” she said.
“Women are strong. Our problems that have to do with crime and drugs will be immediately addressed. But it will be addressed fairly and justly. Ang kailangan po natin ay katarungan at hindi karahasan sapagkat hindi po pwedeng maggagantihan tayong lahat dahil sa pambibintang (What we need is justice, not violence, because we can’t take revenge on each other because of accusations).”
If elected president, Poe said, she would use an effective measure to address the problems on criminality and illegal drugs.
She said she would appoint a “credible, effective, and an incorruptible PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief.”
“Second, if there are any members of our police who will abuse their powers, I will make sure that they do not remain in their post for another day,” said Poe.
“A room in Malacañang will be dedicated for peace and order, where every barangay that has a problem in crime and drugs [is] listed. And if I see that the crime rate or the drug rate is not going [down], is not being addressed in that barangay, I myself will fire the police chief…” she said. CDG
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