MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday vowed justice for victims of the Bulacan massacre as he warned criminals that they cannot escape from the law.
“There will be justice. How? They said one has been killed. If that’s the case, there will be many more to come,” Duterte said during his visit to the wake of the massacre victims in San Jose del Monte town.
“You know, wherever you go, I will catch up with you,” he added.
The president was referring to reports that the possible remains of Ronald Pacinos, one of the suspects, was found near a subdivision in San Jose del Monte.
Asked if he gave the police a timeline to resolve the crime, Duterte said: “No, but it should be as soon as possible.”
Duterte reiterated that he is ready to kill those who would destroy the country and its next generation.
The government has, at the same time, distanced itself from allegations of extrajudicial killings, or summary executions of suspects. The president's spokespersons and subordinates have explained that threats to kill are either part of Duterte's manner of speaking or just expressions of his frustration. They have maintained that killing suspects is not a state policy.
“These killers, I understand one was found dead today… this is an organization, a loose organization of criminal syndicates…. And I will repeat my warning, I told everybody since the beginning if you destroy my country I will kill you. If you destroy the young of this country, it happened here…I will kill you,” the president said.
Carmelino Ibañes, a 26-year-old construction worker who has confessed to the murders, has said that he and two other suspects were drunk and on drugs when they killed the five massacre victims.
But police said Ibañes tested negative for illegal drug use. Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director, quoting the explanation of the chemist, said it is possible Ibañes’ metabolism could be faster or he took small amounts of shabu, thus he tested negative after 24 hours.
“It’s possible the shabu he used was not that concentrated,” he said, adding testing negative does not mean one does not use drugs.
Duterte blasts human rights advocates anew
“I don’t give a sh** about human rights. Don’t care about them. I have a job to do and my job is to see to it, I will repeat, to preserve and defend the Filipino nation. That’s about it,” he added.
The president also mocked human rights advocates, saying he is ready to give them the responsibility of addressing the country’s drug problem.
“Basta pagdating ng panahon, magkita tayo patay ka. Bahala na human rights na yan, sila na umintindi diyan (When the time comes and we see each other, you will die. It will be up to the human rights advocates to understand that),” he said.
“Maybe they want to handle the anti-drug (campaign). I’m willing to let go altogether my particular duty in reference to drugs. I can give it to them… Maybe all criminals will live.”
Duterte said the human rights advocates should begin their campaign by talking to criminals. He reiterated that police officers should not hesitate to shoot those who are in the act of committing crimes.
“Tell the criminals to stop the god d**n s**t so there will be no more killing,” the president said.
He also decried what he described as a “peculiar phenomenon” in the Philippines wherein people are “so tolerant of killings.”
“They did not know that the drugs were the ones fueling the insurrection in Marawi,” Duterte said, referring to the siege that started last May 23.
Duterte said he offered a housing unit, P275,000 and a cellphone to the families of the victims.
“I told them if there’s anything you would need and you think I can help, call me,” he added. -- with a report from C. Fusio