No plans to be a dictator, Duterte says
August 31, 2016 | 6:45pm
MANILA, Philippines -- Criticized for his supposed refusal to tolerate opposition to his policies, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday allayed fears that he is trying to build a dictatorship, saying he is just doing his job to save the next generation from the drug menace.
“I do not have plans to become a dictator,” the president said in a speech delivered at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay.
“They say I am doing a Marcos. Far from it. I am just doing my duty. Or else, I will compromise our next generation,” he added, referring to the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos who was ousted in the 1986 People Power Revolution after two decades in power.
Duterte has vowed to wage a “bloody” war to suppress the proliferation of narcotics within six months. He said the drug problem in the Philippines has become a “pandemic” that has destroyed the lives of thousands of families.
More than 2,000 suspected drug pushers and addicts have been killed since Duterte assumed power, about half of them by unidentified gunmen. Human rights advocates are worried that the administration’s intensified campaign would lead to abusive practices and summary executions.
Duterte, however, was unfazed by the criticisms, saying those who are complaining about his war on drugs are clueless about the extent of the problem.
The president also had harsh words for personalities who have expressed concerns about the recent spate of killings including Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Sen. Leila de Lima.
Duterte apologized to Sereno, who advised judges tagged in illegal drugs not to surrender without a warrant. He, however, did not do the same to de Lima, whom he has accused of being a protector of drug trade at the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.
No charges have been filed against De Lima, who has denied her alleged connection to drugs.
Duterte: Better to be wrong than be complacent
Critics claim that Duterte’s tirades against those who speak against his drug war show his dictatorial tendencies. Duterte has denied this, saying he knows the limitations of his power. Officials also defended the president’s tough talk, saying it merely reflects his strong desire to cleanse the country of drugs.
Dutere warned that the Philippines would become a failed state if the drug problem remains unsolved. While he acknowledged that he may be wrong in coming up with such an assumption, he said being wrong would be more acceptable to doing nothing.
“I don’t mind being wrong as long I am sure about the plight of Filipinos. I’d rather do that than be complacent,” Duterte said.
Duterte lashed anew at the United Nations, which has spoken against his narcotics crackdown.
“The United Nations is now running after me. Let’s just create our own (group). They are meddling with our affairs,” the president said.
The United Nations is not running after Duterte although Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, his running mate in the May elections, claimed in a privilege speech at the Senate on Wednesday afternoon that there is an "international effort" to discredit the president. He did not show proof of the implied conspiracy.
“I have started this. I will end this. I don’t mind landing in jail as long as you visit me in Muntinlupa. Bring drugs so I can be addicted to them,” the president said in jest.
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