Duterte calm during meeting with governors — Bato

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC

Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said President Rodrigo Duterte was “calm” during his meeting with governors on Thursday afternoon.

“Mas kalmado at more on appeal (He was more calm. It was more of an appeal),” Dela Rosa told reporters after the PNP oathtaking in Malacañang.

Earlier in the day, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the President was meeting with the local chief executives to “uprise” them on the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.

Asked why Duterte called the meeting, Abella said, “I suppose (for) cooperation in terms of making sure that the fight against crime and corruption proceeds.”

Dela Rosa said that unlike their meeting with mayors, Duterte did not threaten the governors.

He also did not curse that much, the PNP chief said.

Duterte met with mayors earlier this month. Some of those who attended the meetings, which were done in batches, said the President gave them a warning and threatened to kill those who are included on the list of drug personalities. 

Some of the mayors took offense, with one saying that Duterte “spoke as if he were God, telling (them) who should die and who should live.”

READ: ‘No mayor dared to speak out’

Duterte, in a speech on Thursday, reiterated that many officials, especially those in local government, are involved in the illegal drug trade.

More than 6,000 people have been killed in the war on drugs, a number of them shot dead by unidentified gunmen./rga