Get ready to move out or resign.
A fuming President Duterte has unleashed a profanity-filled rebuke of erring Metro Manila policemen and ordered their deployment to Basilan as punishment for their offenses.
In a public scolding of the police scalawags at the Malacañang garden, the President said they could either accept a two-year reassignment in Basilan or quit from the police force.
The tough-talking President said he would not let these policemen off the hook easily, even threatening to kill them during his fiery speech.
“Kayo lahat ngayon nandito, kasali kayo sa Task Force South. Padala ko kayo sa Basilan. Tumira kayo doon ng mga dalawang taon,” Duterte said in his impromptu remarks.
“Kung lumusot kayo buhay, balik kayo dito. Kung doon kayo mamatay, sabihin ko sa pulis, huwag na magasto na para dalhin pa kayo dito, doon na kayo ilibing,” he added.
Duterte said these policemen, who he criticized for opting to earn extra income through illegal means, must prepare to leave for Basilan in two weeks. He said he was in need of more policemen in Mindanao especially in Basilan amid peace and order threats.
“Prepare to move out. I’ll give you two weeks from now, 15 days. Mag-ano na kayo. Start to move out. If you do not want to go there, go to your superior officer and tell them that you’re going to resign,” he told the grim-faced policemen.
If they choose to leave the police force, Duterte warned the cops not to return to their crooked ways or else face death.
“Hindi ko kayo palusutin, sa totoo lang. Huwag ninyo akong hamunin ng barilan, talagang papatulan ko kayo, mga p***** i** ninyo,” he said.
Duterte said he intends to create a military “battalion” just to track their movements of former policemen and soldiers, saying they have become the “most vicious criminals” in the country.
He said the monitoring squad will be composed of Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and even the airport police.
“P***** i** papatayin ko talaga kayo sa harap ng Pilipinas. Kayo ang mag-droga-droga, anak ng – Pasensya na lang.
Hindi ako mag-dalawang isip. Kayo ang ma-extrajudicial killing talaga. Totoo ‘yan,” he said.
“Pag naalis kayo, if you opt to retire, then behave, maghanap kayo ng hanapbuhay ninyo na malinis,” he said.
Duterte said he originally wanted to throw the erring cops to Pasig River but decided not to due to possible human rights concerns.
He reprimanded the policemen for resorting to crime just to earn more money. He said these cops have chosen to have several mistresses and have an extravagant life despite knowing a cop’s meager salary.
“Kaya naman meron talagang mga kagaya ninyo mga ulol na ugok. P***** i** hindi kayo na – gusto ninyo mas habang pulis kayo, mas marami. ‘Yan ang problema ninyo,” he said.
“‘Yung iba nagbababae, may asawa. ‘Yung iba naman mag-ambisyon. Gusto ng kotse, gusto ng magandang buhay. Eh ba’t kayo pumili ng pagka-pulis? Alam naman ninyo talagang mahirap,” he said.
After berating them, the President told the policemen to stay in their places while he held a Cabinet meeting inside the Palace.
“Tumindig kayo diyan. Maghintay ako pagtapos kausapin ko kayo mamaya. Huwag kayong umalis diyan,” he said. “Pag may nakita ako nag-relax, sisipain kita, sige,” he said.
Around 226 policemen implicated in criminal and administrative complaints were brought to Malacañang by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa and other senior police officials.
Dela Rosa, in a media interview at the Palace, said some policemen face charges for alleged robbery, extortion, kidnapping, and drug involvement while others face administrative complaints. The cases were filed in 2014 and 2015.
The ranks of the policemen ranged from Police Officer 1 to Chief Inspector, he added.
Dela Rosa said he would do everything to weed out the scalawags in the police force, including a public shame campaign. (GENALYN KABILING)