The country’s drug problem has become enormous, painful, and sorrowful but resolving it with brutality and cruelty will never be allowed, President Duterte declared recently.
The President said law enforcement authorities are only authorized to “shoot and kill” if the drug suspects resist arrest and endanger their lives.
“Hindi naman trabaho ng gobyerno na nakaupo na ‘yung tao, eh naka-outstretch na nga ‘yung kamay o nakatali, barilin mo. I assure you. Hindi ako papayag nang ganun. That’s outright brutality at cruelty,” Duterte said before an assembly of outstanding government workers in Malacanang.
“Eh ‘yung lumaban, patayin mo, you have my go signal. Basta lumaban and you think that your life is in danger, shoot and kill,” he added.
Duterte offered anew to take responsibility for the government’s relentless anti-drug crackdown, saying it was his job to “clean the country.”
“Sabi ko sa police, ‘Ubusin na natin para matapos na’ and I will take full responsibility for it,” he said.
He lamented that the drug problem has destroyed many families as millions of Filipinos have become slaves to the illegal substance. “The social dysfunction created by the drug problem is very enormous, painful, and sorrowful for me and for you,” he added.
To those involved in the illegal drugs trade, the President urged them to drop the drugs if they want to stay alive. “As an act of self-preservation, sinasabi ko naman drop. Ayaw mong mamatay? Drop the drug,” he said.
Duterte brushed aside the high number of alleged extrajudicial killings listed by some human rights groups, saying he prefers to believe the figures given by the police. (Genalyn Kabiling)