Duterte hints PNP’s return to drugs war, gives PDEA to prove its mettle

                         President Duterte is giving the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) six months to prove its mettle in fighting the government’s war against illegal drugs, hinting the possible return of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the front seat if the PDEA could not effectively deal with the problem.

                       

The President earlier ordered the pullout of the police force from the frontline of the drug war and designated PDEA as the lead agency to conduct anti-drug operations in the country after foreign and local groups criticized the alleged soaring extrajudicial killings and other human rights abuses. PDEA has around 2,000 officers compared with the more than 100,000 police personnel.

                        “Huwag – lahat walang makialam, PDEA lang. O sige, tingnan natin, six months from now (Nobody will interfere. It will be just PDEA. Okay, let us see six months from now),” he said.

                    “Ngayon, pagka lumabo na naman ito, sabihan ko itong mga unggoy na ‘to, ‘Bumalik kayo dito, solbahin ninyo ang problema namin. Kayo ‘yung madaldal, pagka hindi ninyo nasolba diyan, tutuliin ko kayo uli (Now, if it the situation gets worse, I’ll tell these monkeys, ‘Hey come back, solve our problem. You’re all talkative so if you cannot solve that, I will circumcise all of you again),” he said.

                      Duterte was apparently alluding to the western nations critical of his drug war, which he recently challenged to take the lead in solving the drug war if they can do it in a civilized way.

                          “Pinatabi ko muna lahat (I’ve asked everyone to step aside). And whether it will get worse or better, I simply do not have the answer,” he added.

                        He explained anew that the illegal drug trade is an “organized crime,” saying all persons involved in the “conspiracy” would share the same criminal responsibility. “The rule in law – nandiyan man kami lahat puro abogado (we are all lawyers here) — is that the act of one is the act of all,” he said.

                        Duterte went as far as saying he was prepared to shoot criminals himself if nobody would dare do it.

                     “Yung mga mag-rape ka ng bata, mag-rape ka ng babae, anak ng jueteng. Kung ayaw ng pulis, nandito ako ngayon, ako ang babaril (Those who rape children, rape women, those sons of…If you don’t want the police, I am here now. I will shoot them),” the President said.

                       “Totoo (It’s true). If nobody would dare it, I will pull the trigger,” he warned.

                  The President promised the equal enforcement of the law as he tried to justify why the anti-drug operations seem to target the poor communities. He claimed that rich people use cocaine, heroin or other expensive drugs while the market of shabu is the poor.

                       The PNP will be intensifying its police visibility in crime-prone areas and other places where illegal drugs trade is rampant as part of its contribution on the war on drugs.

                     Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos, PNP spokesman, clarified that police would not initiate anti-illegal drugs operations as they are aware of the President’s directive to have the PDEA the main force in running after drugs personalities.

                        “We will continue to comply with the directive of the President. Police visibility will be intensified as deterrent to drugs activities in the community,” said Carlos.

                         Aside from police visibility, Carlos said they will also help in providing intelligence information to the PDEA about suspected illegal drugs personalities.

                      “We will support the PDEA with intelligence-gathering or information-gathering and forward all drug investigations and records to the PDEA,” said Carlos. (With a report from Aaron B. Recuenco)