Rody threatens to kill judges, shoot human rights officials

MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte has threatened to have judges killed for conspiring with drug offenders and to have human rights officials shot.

Duterte said he has a list of officials with links to drug syndicates, which include some members of the judiciary. The list was last updated on Aug. 8.

“With God’s help…death certificate na yan balang araw (it will soon become a death certificate),” Duterte said.

He also threatened to investigate officials of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and suspend mayors who cannot curb narcotics trafficking within their localities.

“One of these days, kayong human rights ang imbestigahan ko (I will investigate you). That’s true. (For) conspiracy,” he said. “If they are obstructing justice, shoot them.”

Duterte explained that he is angry with the commission for criticizing his war on illegal drugs without considering the impact of narcotics on the lives of innocent people.

“When a one-year-old child was violated, where is human rights?” he added, apparently referring to a recent incident in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan where the child, along with her siblings aged five and 11, mother and grandmother, were killed allegedly by drug users.

The President also warned mayors who cannot suppress illicit drugs in their towns or cities, saying these executives do not deserve to have control of police units.

“As mayors, you have the authority over the police. If you cannot control drugs in your city, I will just suspend you. Just take a vacation,” Duterte said during the 19th anniversary of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption on Wednesday.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has, so far, stripped seven governors and 132 mayors in Mindanao of police power for allegedly abusing their authority and conniving with criminals.

The local executives also allegedly failed to implement measures to suppress terrorism and prevent lawless violence.

Napolcom made the decision weeks after the Islamic State-inspired Maute terror group laid siege in Marawi City, prompting Duterte to place the whole of Mindanao under martial law.

“They do not have police power. I will return it to them after the conflict. But if I return it and you cannot stop drugs in your city, I will strip you of your power. I might just outright suspend you,” Duterte said.

“Wala naman kayong silbi (You are worthless). I will not return the police power to you. Wala akong pakialam sa inyo (I don’t care about you),” he added.

He reiterated that the campaign against illegal drugs cannot be finished in one term, adding that his critics would not fare better if they were in his shoes.

“Ako nga na nag uutos ng patayan, di ko kaya, kayo pa? Wag na tayo mag-drama dito (If I who ordered the killings cannot do it, how much more, you? Let’s not be melodramatic). You’ll be far worse than what we have now,” the President said.

Duterte also threatened to kill judges linked to illegal drugs syndicates.

“There are judges here (in the narco list) Hinuli ko ...para huli silang patayin. Hintayin na lang ‘yung ano ninyo (I mentioned them last so they will be the last to be killed),” the President said, showing the updated narco list.

“As you can see from a distance...(there are) judges. So may mga judges na namamatay? Tanungin mo. Ewan ko. Gobyerno na ‘to? Hindi. (Will there be judges who will die? Ask them. I don’t know). We will not do that,” he added.

“Magalit ang human rights pati itong si u*** na mestizong itong si Gascon (CHR will be angry, including this stupid mestizo CHR chief Chito Gascon).”

Killings on drug war

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has denied the allegation of Sen. Franklin Drilon that there has been lack of transparency on cases of killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

“There’s no truth to that. Why would we have to hide it?” he said.

Justice Undersecretary Reynante Orceo supported Aguirre’s statement and gave assurance that the administration is not taking the extrajudicial killings lightly.

In fact, he said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been monitoring the killings during police operations, which have totaled 3,050 from July 1, 2016 to May 30, 2017.

The DOJ earlier indicted members of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) team involved in the killing of mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte and fellow inmate Raul Yap inside a sub-provincial jail in November last year.

But last June, it downgraded the case against them from two counts of murder to homicide, allowing the 19 accused led by Supt. Marvin Marcos to post bail.

Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat, acting Bulacan police director, said they are merely doing their job in the recent anti-drug operations that resulted in the killing of 32 suspected drug pushers and that they did not expect to be praised by President Duterte. – With Alexis Romero, Edu Punay, Romina Cabrera, Eva Visperas