(Eagle News) — “Narcopolitics is on the rise.”
This is according to President Rodrigo Duterte, who spoke to the media at the Davao International Airport on Sunday prior to his departure for his official visit to Myanmar, and later to Thailand.
As such, Duterte said that as soon as the police finish their selection of men and women who will comprise the Drug Enforcement Group, “they should go back and operate again.”
The DEG replaced the antidrug units of the Philippine National Police following the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo mostly by rogue policemen in October last year.
The suspects had used the government’s war on drugs as a pretext to commit the crime.
“But it will be under the supervision of General (Isidro) Lapena, (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency),” Duterte said.
According to the President, there was a need to “destroy the (illegal drug) apparatus.”
As such, he said he would “not be intimidated” nor “be stopped by just what? The (International Criminal Court)? Impeachment?”
“If that is part of my destiny, it’s my destiny to go,” he said, referring to the complaint for crimes against humanity Edgar Matobato said he would file with the ICC against Duterte, and the complaint Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano has filed against him.
Matobato has claimed that Duterte was behind what he said was a squad that killed criminals in Davao when the President was mayor there.
In a press conference, Alejano said the impeachment complaint was based on what he said was Duterte’s culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, engagement in bribery, graft and corruption, and engagement in other high crimes.
Alejano noted the alleged killings in Davao under the so-called DDS, Duterte’s bank accounts that reportedly contained more than P2 billion, among others.
‘Drop the shabu’
In the press conference, Duterte again defended the drug war, reiterating that there was no such thing as state-sponsored killings.
He said that the men and women who are graduates of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) after all, “are not allowed to follow illegal orders.”
“Maybe scalawags. We do not discount the possibility of them killing each other. Or scalawags in government who are into drugs trying to silence the guys we’re dealing with. That is a possibility I must accept. Pero sabihin mong mga (PMA, PNPA) grads, di papayag to. Pinupukpok sa kanila (not to follow illegal orders),” he said.
He also said that those who were caught in the act of committing a crime should not fight the police.
He said he had a “shoot to order kill” to criminals who “place the (policeman’s life in jeopardy).”
“I would rather that criminals, however thousands or millions, they are, they should be the first to go,” Duterte said.
“Follow the law and we’re all right. Drop the shabu and nobody will die tomorrow,” he added.
