With about 6,000 policemen and 5,000 barangay officials in his latest drug list, President Duterte said there might be more killings if he will read out their names.
Thus, the Chief Executive said, he is having second thoughts whether or not to release the list.
“Nagda-dalawang isip ako. I’m trying to vacillate whether to release it or not,” Duterte said in a speech delivered at the 115th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard Wednesday.
And so, the President said, he would just send the list to the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mike Sueno.
“Hindi ko na kaya kasi if I read it, tapos magpapatayan, if I read all the names and they would start to cleanse themselves among themselves to prevent, you know, being drawn into the vortex of the shabu, mahihirapan tayo,” the President continued.
Duterte announced that he has the third and final list of drug personalities in September. But until now, the President said, he is still having it validated.
“I’m trying to validate, revalidate, and validate and revalidate so that I’d be fair to everybody. The latest is from the military, to the police, to the PDEA, the drug enforcement, then I again insisted, it goes back to a civilian agency, DILG, validate it, review it before I finally give it to somebody else’s possession, sabi ko sa kanila,” said Duterte.
With the number of barangay captains – 5,000 – allegedly involved in the drug trade, Duterte said: “If you will read it, you will be discouraged…You will be downhearted because these guys are elected by the people in an election which is supposed to take place next month.”
And that, Duterte said, is the reason he pleaded to Congress to call off the elections.
“Because these guys would still try, they have the money. And what is really worst is there are policemen, 6,000 of them. Hindi ko…I cannot even announce them anymore. I would not have the time to announce their names individually,” he said. (Elena L. Aben)
