Mayor, son warned: Surrender or die

MANILA, Philippines - Surrender or be shot.

Fulfilling his promise to run after local executives with alleged links to illegal drugs, President Duterte yesterday gave a town mayor and his son 24 hours to surrender or he would issue a “shoot on sight” order against them.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte is demanding the surrender of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his son Kerwin for drug trafficking and protecting drug syndicates.

“Otherwise, an order of shoot on sight will be given if they resist and endanger the lives of arresting police officers,” Abella said.

Espinosa is the first local executive linked to the narcotics trade under the Duterte administration.

Duterte demanded Espinosa’s surrender three days after two of the mayor’s security aides and three companions were caught with illegal drugs in an operation in Barangay Benolho in Albuera town. More than 200 grams of shabu, two pistols and live ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

Duterte has vowed to reveal the names of police generals and local executives involved in illegal drugs as part of his relentless campaign against drug syndicates and pushers. 

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the PNP would implement the instruction of the President.

“The PNP will follow the instructions of the commander-in-chief. We will apply Oplan Tokhang and ask the subject persons to surrender as demanded by the President,” Carlos said.

“If they resist and place the public and the lives of our peace officers in danger, then the PNP will defend themselves to protect the public,” he added.

A total of 395 drug personalities have been killed since Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, the PNP-National Operations Center said.

As of 6 a.m. on Aug. 1, records showed a total of 545,589 self confessed users and pushers have surrendered to authorities while police served 409 search warrants on suspected drug dealers.

Police said a total of 213,988 houses suspected of being drug storage were visited by the police as part of Project: Double Barrel.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Project: Double Barrel was intended for both high value targets and street level drug pushing.

Dela Rosa said common crimes like murder, homicide, rape, robbery have decreased as the PNP has intensified the campaign against illegal drugs.

“The PNP is now on full scale war against crime and lawlessness. I take this opportunity to call on our partners in the community,  the AFAD (Association of Firearms and Explosives Division)  and all other sectors to help us win this war,” said Dela Rosa.

But as the PNP claims initial success in its anti-drug campaign, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the PNP should pursue its investigation into the killings of suspected drug pushers supposedly by vigilantes.

He said based on newspaper accounts, at least 173 of the killings were believed to be perpetrated by vigilantes.

“170 unsolved murder cases in a month is just too large a number. I have yet to hear an announcement from the PNP that they are investigating the summary killings,” Lacson, a former PNP chief, told ANC News.

The Senate committees on justice and human rights, chaired by Sen. Leila de Lima, and public order and illegal drugs chaired by Lacson are set to conduct a probe on the rising incidents of the unexplained killings.

The inquiry was prompted by a resolution filed by De Lima. Lacson, however, said he would rather that concerned government agencies investigate the cases. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Paolo Romero