Rody offers P2-M bounty for each ‘narco cop’

MANILA, Philippines - For the capture of a so-called “ninja cop” or police official linked to illegal drugs, President Duterte is ready to give a P2-million reward to step up his anti-drug campaign, which has caught the attention of international human rights activists and news organizations.

Duterte announced yesterday the cash reward during his speech at the commemoration of National Heroes’ Day at Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, hours after suspected drug lord Melvin Odicta and his wife were shot dead by unidentified suspects after they alighted from a ferry in Caticlan jetty port in Aklan before dawn.

“So today, I might be inclined to place a reward on their head, the members of the ninja or the members of the police who are protecting the drug syndicates in this country. I am placing per head P2 million,” he said.

Barely two months since he named “narco-generals” in his order of battle, Duterte also urged the members of the uniformed services to betray their erring colleagues by giving information on their whereabouts.

Duterte did not say if he wanted them dead or alive, but he reiterated his call for the need to destroy the apparatus of drug syndicates, which have infiltrated the police, local officials, judges and prosecutors.

“And you might want to ipagbili mo na yung mga kaibigan na ‘yon (sell out your friends). I want them, I want the police and the Armed Forces to destroy the drug apparatus in this country,” he said.

From the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Duterte flew later yesterday to Catbalogan, Samar where he visited the wake of Police Officer 1 Gary Canaguing at St. Peter Funeral Homes.  

He said Canaguing is regarded as a “hero” for sacrificing his life for his country.

He also directed the police there to help him in the campaign against police scalawags that sell drugs seized from dealers, known as ninjas. 

Apart from P2 million, a new gun also awaits the policeman who leads authorities to capture a drug suspect.

The 71-year-old President has vowed to stop criminality in six months. 

“It will be a clean government at the end of the day,” he said.

Noting the enormity of the problem, Duterte said he hopes that he could put an end to the drug problem and criminality by the end of his term.

“I said I will fight criminality and drugs, most of the criminal acts are really on account of the drug menace, so I will not relent,” Duterte said. “As I have said in the campaign, I will be as harsh as I can ever be. I will finish this problem of corruption, drugs and crime. I hope at the end of my term,” he added.

At the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Duterte debunked insinuations that many drug suspects have opted to sell drugs to earn a living.

Displeased by criticisms over his disregard for human rights, Duterte said the human rights activists should also take into consideration the statistics of people victimized by criminals hooked on drugs.

“My God! If you want justice to be done, it has to be against everybody,” he said.

“You know, do not give me that, that just because he is poor, he has to earn, he has to sell shabu. That act does not really matter because they should be protected. I do not simply disagree with you. I consider the fight against drugs a war. There’s a crisis in this country,” Duterte said.

Duterte repeated what he has been saying since his first day as President, that he does not want the Philippines to end up like a South American country, which has become a narco-state.

“These drugs. We might still end up like the South American countries and their fractured governments,” he said.

The Philippine National Police welcomed the reward offer of President Duterte for information that will help uncover police personnel behind illegal drug activities.

“We see this as a bold initiative to once and for all rid the organization of errant personnel who are in cahoots with drug syndicates,” said PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos in a statement.

Carlos said the PNP urges the people to rally behind this national campaign and help the PNP cleanse its ranks of members who have betrayed the public trust.

“Rest assured any information provided will be kept in strict confidence and shall undergo rigid validation procedures,” said the spokesman.

Carlos said the PNP Text Hotline 0917-8475757 is open 24/7 to receive and process confidential information.

National security concern

In his speech, Duterte justified anew his anti-drug campaign, expressing his full support to the police and military personnel who might get entangled in legal woes because of his call to go after drug suspects.

There is a drug war that has become so enormous that it becomes a national security concern, which entails the deployment of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to assist the PNP in the operations.

“I am declaring war, I am not ordering the police to just a few punitive actions, that’s why it’s not me or I that declared the drug problem and placed it at a level as a national security threat,” he said, noting that it was former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who raised the classification of the drug problem as a national security threat. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe