Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 14) — Former President Rodrigo Duterte said the “best way” to deal with police officers involved in the illegal drug trade is to kill them instead of putting them behind bars.
In his weekly program aired at SMNI, Duterte said while the police helped him manage peace and order when he was in power, there are now several “hoodlums” and corrupt members within their organization.
“I love the police, but you know…Maraming hoodlums nakapasok sa police, even ‘yung mga colonels ngayon, pati naging generals,” he said on Monday.
“Huwag mo nang ikorte korte ‘yan, p******a, patayin mo…Shoot them dead. What for? Daan mo sa due process?…Bakit pa kita buhayin?”
[Translation: I love the police, but you know…There are many hoodlums who have entered the police force, even the colonels now, and those who became generals. Don’t bring them anymore to court, son of a b****, just kill them. Shoot them dead. Observe due process? Why would I keep you alive?]
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Duterte also said he believes some police officers’ drug links go beyond merely just protecting drug lords.
“Ang pulis mismo, napasukan na, sila na mismo ang sindikato,” the former president claimed.
[Translation: Police themselves are now the syndicates.]
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos said a syndicate operating within the Philippine National Police may be behind the ₱6.7-billion drug haul that happened in October last year.
When he was president, Duterte waged a bloody drug war that is now being investigated by the International Criminal Court.
During his term, state monitoring platform RealNumbersPH showed that over 6,000 people died in anti-illegal drug operations. Local and international human rights groups, however, estimate an even higher tally of between 12,000 and 30,000.
