Duterte: Killings for both rich, poor

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – In the vicious war against illegal drugs, poor and rich drug offenders alike could end up dead, President Duterte made clear the other day.

“Do not give me that s*** about this Duterte, going only for the poor. What do you mean poor? They earn big,” Duterte said in Cebuano and English.

He was reacting to statements from some sectors – particularly human rights groups – that his deadly war on illegal drugs targeted mainly the poor, with major drug traffickers generally untouched.

“If there is no one to peddle or sell drugs in the streets, they will just be kept in warehouses,” he said. Having drug runners without suppliers would not make sense to operators of the illegal industry, he added. Having both suppliers and sellers would mean an unimpeded flow of illegal drugs, an arrangement requiring prompt and tough action from law enforcers, he pointed out.

The President stressed that the chain of distribution in the illegal drug trade involves those from the financiers or distributors down to the lowest level, or those who sell in the streets.

“You are part of an organization. So it does not really matter to me at all. If you are the biggest drug distributor or if you’re the poorest in Cordova, you are just as liable for destroying your fellowmen,” he said in a speech at the groundbreaking ceremonies for a bridge project in Cebu Thursday afternoon.

The President remains unfazed by criticisms from Human Rights Watch and other organizations, saying he is committed to his relentless campaign against illegal drugs and that people should expect more killings, particularly with his recent order for the police to resume their anti-illegal drugs operations.

“That’s how I am committed to stop drugs before I go out,” he said.

“I am committed to stop drugs. This means there will be more killings because (criminals) really fight back. It won’t end tomorrow,” he added.

Duterte said more than 6,000 policemen and 40 percent of barangay captains all over the country are involved in the illegal drugs trade.

“You will die. Either you kill me or I kill you,” the President said, adding that killing criminals is not a human rights violation because “criminals are not humanity.”

“There is a whale of a difference between killing a criminal and an innocent individual,” Duterte further said. Christina Mendez