DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday gave politicians, judges and policemen whom he tagged as involved in the illegal drugs trade 24 hours to surface and “report” to their supervising agencies or they would be hunted down by the police and the military.
He also ordered police and military personnel deployed as security escorts to report to their mother units even as he ordered the cancellation of their firearms permits and licenses.
READ: Rody names politicians, judges, cops allegedly into illegal drugs
Speaking at the wake of four soldiers slain in clashes in Compostela Valley since August 2 at around 12:38 a.m. Sunday, Duterte said he was also removing the operational authority of the said mayors over their police units.
“I am removing their operational authority over them. Twenty-four hours, everybody, military police, attached to them, report to your mother unit. I give you 24 hours or I will wack you and dismiss you from the service,” he said.
The Inquirer’s verification with sources, such as the official list of mayors in the Philippines, bared that some of the names he mentioned were either active, former or losing candidates in the last elections. Duterte also identified names with the wrong municipality or province.
At one point, he said that Iloilo was the most “shabulized” and that one “congressman” on the list, Jeffrey Centino, was his political “leader of Panay chapter.”
He also described Ozamiz City vice mayor Nova Princess Parojinog Echavez as “used to be the wife of I think (Herbert) Colangco, the poster boy of” Bilibid.
Duterte also hinted he did not care what the result of his revelation was or if he would be targeted.
“I’ll wait for you, regardless of where. Even if I’m no longer in the presidency for so long as I have gun. If you want, wake me up,” he said.
“It’s a personal thing. Maybe you are my friend but either I read or all or I read none. I cannot (in the name of) fair play. I need to read all (these names). They were from the military, the police. Either all or none,” the President said.
He also lambasted police officers, whom he said were either directly involved or had served as protectors.
“I would like to just give you an advice. Once you hear your name mentioned here, if you are somewhere, you are now relieved of your present assignment. Report to the PNP within 24 hours or I will order the entire Armed Forces and the police to hunt for you. It’s your call,” he said.
“That’s why we ended like this. You are the enforcers but you allowed yourselves to be used,” Duterte added.
“You destroyed the country,” he said, cursing them.
Duterte said the drug problem was so huge that there were now “600,000” Filipinos considered to be hooked on drugs./rga
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