Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it respects the sentiments of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who earlier dared the entire police force to resign as he claimed it has become a “gatekeeper” of the illegal drug trade.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, PNP Spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo said it is normal for Duterte to have strong opinions on the matter since the fight against illegal drugs was the centerpiece of his administration.
“Unang-una, nirerespeto natin ‘yung pahayag ng ating dating pangulo at alam din natin ‘yung pinanggagalingan ni former President Rodrigo Duterte…You can just imagine the frustrations ng ating dating president nung may mga na-involve na pulis dito sa illegal drugs,” Fajardo said.
[Translation: First of all, we respect the former president’s statement, and we know where he’s coming from. You can just imagine his frustrations over police involvement in illegal drugs.]
The former chief executive’s remarks came amid controversies involving some police officers in the alleged cover-up of the 990-kilogram shabu haul in Tondo, Manila last year.
Fajardo assured Duterte that despite the controversies the PNP is facing, there is no letup in its measures to cleanse its ranks of misfits.
With regards to Duterte’s statement that he would prefer that the whole PNP surrender all its firearms and let the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) take over, Fajardo said this may pose a challenge for both agencies since they have different scopes of work.
