If I lose my patience, I’ll kill you, Duterte warns illegal recruiters

President Rodrigo Duterte lays a wreath at the foot of the statue of Andres Bonifacio on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019, to commemorate the 156th birth anniversary of the Katipunan founder. (Photo from an RTVM video)

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday threatened to kill anyone who would engage in illegal recruitment.

“Sinasabi ko sa inyong mga illegal recruiters, huwag kayong pumasok diyan. Pag ako naubusan ng pasensya, patayin ko kayo, simple,” Duterte said in his speech during the ceremony of 156th birth anniversary of Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan.

[I am telling you, you illegal recruiters, don’t get into that. If my patience runs out, I will simply kill you.]

Duterte added that he would go after illegal recruiters with the same intensity as illegal drug dealers.

“There are so many vultures [in this] illegal recruitment and one of these days I will raise you to the level of a drug problem and I will take care of you,” he said.

Duterte previously requested the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to intensify their campaign against illegal recruiters.

/atm