A few perks await government troops involved in the bloody campaign against the narcotics trade.
President Duterte has pledged to grant pardon and even promote law enforcers even if they “massacre” 100 drug criminals in the line of duty.
The President assured legal protection for government forces accused of human rights abuses, saying he would not allow them to rot in jail.
“For as long as there is the power to pardon sa Constitution, ‘yan ang weapon ko against crime,” the President said during his visit to a military camp in Compostela Valley last Tuesday.
“Mag-massacre kayo ng isang daan, isang daan din kayo, eh di pardon lahat kayo. Restore to full political and civil rights plus a promotion to boot. Basta gano’n mga – lalo na high profile,” he added.
The President also said he is ready to go to jail for his campaign against illegal drugs, adding that he would “always protect” the troops following his orders.
“For as long as I am the President, nobody but nobody – no military man or policeman will go to prison because they performed their duties. Ako ang magpakulong,” he said.
Duterte also directed the troops to “stick to the mandate and go after criminals.” He said it was imperative to “remove syndicates from this planet.”
“Pagka bumunot, patayin mo. Pag hindi bumunot, patayin mo rin. P**** para matapos na. Eh kaysa mawala pa yung baril.
Ako na ang bahala sa inyo,” he added.
Meanwhile, Duterte would not have hesitated to place the country under Martial Law if he was the Chief Executive when illegal drugs proliferated in the State penitentiary.
“Saan tayo makakita a country allowing the drug syndicates to operate inside the Muntinlupa at directing the traffic?” the President said after witnesses appeared in a House inquiry linking Sen. Leila M. de Lima to the New Bilibid Prison drug trade.
“Ako sa totoo lang kung ganon, if I were the President that time, I would have declared Martial Law. Tutal there is really a rebellion dito,” the President added during a visit to a military camp in Compostela Valley last Tuesday.
High profile-inmates allegedly paid De Lima millions of pesos to allow them to bring in illegal drugs and other contraband inside the prison, witnesses told a congressional panel last Tuesday. De Lima has strongly denied the allegations, saying witnesses were tortured to make such testimony. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)