Duterte orders audit of mayors in towns, cities with rising criminality

MOLAVE, Zamboanga del Sur — President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to make an audit of mayors who are not doing well in implementing his administration’s campaign to bring down criminality and illegal drug use.

The President said on Tuesday that he issued the order after some local officials appeared to be indifferent to the government’s campaign.

“My sentiment as your co-government worker, I am your supposed president, so I take care that all laws will be followed, what I have enforced, you should also have enforced in your own locality,” he said. “But apparently, there seems to be misunderstanding going on so long… most of LGUs seem to be nonchalant against illegal logging, illegal drug, [the rise] of crime in the municipality. What are you doing?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll resign,” he added. “I can’t run this republic without you. So, if that’s the case, I’ll resign.”

“So, I suggested to [retired] General [Eduardo] Año, [the officer in charge] of the DILG to make an audit of mayors whose towns and cities have high crime rate and illegal drugs activities,” he said.

The President also reminded barangay chiefs that he had warned governors and mayors in Malacañang the previous year that they had better shape up and stop their involvement in the drug trade.

He said he made this statement based on the reports that some mayors involved in illegal drugs had ordered the killing of some police officer who had been strying to stop the illegal activities.

“I only have this to say to mayors who ordered policemen killed,” Duterte said. “Kill him.”