Funeral personnels carries the remains of Antonio Baginon after he was gunned down by three unidentified men at his residence in Humanity Village Bagong Silang Quezon city last July 11, 2016. Baginon was said to be police asset who pin points drug personalities in their area in relation to Oplan Tokhang program by PNP.INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
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President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he hoped to satisfy “bleeding hearts” by easing out the police and giving the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) the sole task to lead his war on drugs.
“O, diyan tayo. Walang patay so walang encounter ‘yan. So better for the bleeding hearts and the media, I hope I will satisfy you,” Duterte said in a speech in Malacañang.
“So kung ang PDEA konti lang ang patay o ‘di konti lang rin mamatay doon sa kabila. Isa lang. Wounded-in-action, dalawa. This is better or ‘betterer,’ do you say?” he added.
The President’s remarks came after he signed in October a memorandum ordering the PDEA the sole responsibility to lead his brutal war on drugs, which has drawn criticisms from local and international groups.
“Now, kung kaya ng PDEA, palagay ko, palagay ko kaya… Tingnan natin kung—pero ‘wag kayong tumingin sa akin, kindly. I’m not joking. At ‘yung nandito na ‘yan ang gusto ng lahat,” Duterte said.
“When something not to your liking is happening, do not look at me. Praise the bleeding hearts and all. Kasi ginawa ko na talaga lahat ang magagawa ko, ito na. And some of the noted writers say, ‘Act now,’” he added.
The chief executive slammed his critics for focusing only on the deaths of suspected drug pushers and users but not on police casualties performing anti-drug operations.
“Ito na po. Ito ‘yung mga patay. Taguin ko na lang sa bulsa ko. You know why? Itong mga left, itong mga… Hindi naman sana bobo ang mga p… nila, ilabas mo ‘yan. Bakit ang tingnan dito ang patay lang sa mga suspected addicts?” he said.
He said critics of his war on drugs also failed to look the hundreds of thousands of drug addicts who surrendered to the government.
“‘Yung mga sundalo ko, balewala na sa kanila and the thousand other victims who are now hooked into drugs during the time that they began in earnest dito sa drug activity until the time when I acted on the problem,” he said.
“Ang pinakamasakit dito, they have cheapened the deaths of my soldiers and policemen and the one million three hundred and you saw it with your naked eyes ‘yung mga Pilipino na payat na, na parang skin and bones surrendering every day to government,” he added.