President Duterte on Saturday advised new mayors assuming their posts on June 30 to clean their cities or he will force the government’s present mindset on them.
In an interview in Davao City, Duterte, who was mayor of the city before becoming president, said being mayor is just about making sure that the city is clean.
“It’s just about cleaning the city, imposing law and order, and especially drugs, and try to limit the movements of criminals from other places,” he said.
“These are the things we would like to do which in the past has been there on the agenda of government. It’s either they accept the present mindset of the government, or if not, we will force it upon them. There’s no other choice,” he added.
According to the President, the Philippines is still a democratic country but noted that democracy has good and bad effects on society.
“Yes, it is a democracy and there are things in a democracy which are bad, and there are things in a democracy which are very good. But for there’s bad things, too much democracy, too many rights, and the fragile crime-and-punishment story of this country is not the point of…” Duterte said.
“Either tanggapin ninyo o talagang ipalunok ko sa inyo. I have no other choice. If you want just follow, if you want a better life, or I will enforce it on you. That has always been my paradigm even when I was mayor,” he added. (Argyll Geducos)