Rody to erring cops: Blame FVR, not me

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte joked yesterday that erring policemen should blame former president Fidel Ramos for his harsh treatment of scalawags in the police force.

“Upon orders of the former commander-in-chief of this republic president Ramos, he said: stop it. Do your work. Siya ang sisihin ninyo, hindi ako (blame him, not me),” Duterte said, drawing laughter and applause during his speech at the turnover ceremonies for new Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

The President told the police officers not to joke with him because he has orders from Ramos: “Do what is good for the country.”

Duterte referred to Ramos, a former chief of the defunct Philippine Constabulary and Integrated National Police, as the no. 1 policeman.

“I am just being very harsh to you now. That’s why I am glad that we had the lighter moments. Alam ko yan. Alam ko kung paano mag-liquidate ang precinct commander na wala naman, operations na wala, gasolina na wala. That you have to stop this,” Duterte warned the police officers that he was on to their tricks.

Duterte also thanked Ramos for inspiring him to run for president in the last May 9 polls. 

“He said: it is time that Mindanao will have a president. I prevailed because of his inspiration,” Duterte said.

In his inaugural address on Thursday, Duterte’s first words were thanks to Ramos for helping make him president. 

Duterte said Ramos visited him at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City and encouraged him to run for president despite his own misgivings about lack of funds and political machinery.

He said that he talked with Ramos for about three hours. Ramos was even seen wearing a white shirt with a Duterte logo on it. 

“I won because Ramos was there for me. Nung sinabi niya, ‘You know the ins and outs of the police. You know where the problem is. I tried and I was succeeding. Why don’t you try and succeed?’” he recalled Ramos as saying.

Duterte explained that when he decided to run, he did not have a single barangay captain outside of the Davao region supporting his campaign.

He was then in the middle of a 10-month listening tour on a possible shift to a federal form of government when he met Ramos in Davao City. 

Although Duterte visited Ramos twice last year at his office in Manila, the former president did not openly endorse Duterte during the campaign.

The President likewise said he listens to the wisdom of Ramos, being a former president and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and the PNP.