Rody tags 2 police generals in drug trade

SOCHI – Two police generals are “still playing” with illegal drugs, President Duterte revealed here Wednesday, without naming names.

“Right now, even as I fly here and go back, there are again about two generals who are still playing with drugs,” Duterte said during a forum attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin at the mountain resort of Krasnaya Polyana.

Duterte explained his administration’s stance against Western nations with negative perceptions of his war on drugs.

He reiterated his mantra: “I told you, do not destroy my country because it is being flooded with drugs.”

Duterte seemed comfortable speaking his mind while he shared center stage with Putin, who invited him to the Valdai Forum.

Also present were King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Heydar Oglu Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan.

Duterte made the revelation as the Senate’s investigation into anomalies
in the Bureau of Corrections was diverted to the alleged involvement of police officers protecting the drug trade in Manila.

Before he left Manila last Tuesday, Duterte was careful in his statements, saying he will wait for the results and recommendation of the Senate and Department of the Interior and Local Government investigating the issue of “ninja cops.”

The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday said it is ready to investigate the President’s claims that two police generals are “still playing” with illegal drugs.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, however, said it has received no reports regarding the involvement of high-ranking police officials in illegal drugs, apart from the ongoing investigation in the Senate.

The issue has corroded public confidence in incumbent PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde, as well as the totality of the administration’s drug campaign.

“This I would pose to the entire community of the world. Is it wrong for a President to see – to say, rather – that: Do not destroy my country, especially the children, because I will kill you? And that was my order to the Armed Forces and to the police,” Duterte stressed.

It was Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who cast doubt on the integrity of the administration’s drug campaign after revelations that insinuated top police officials – including Albayalde – provided protection to arrested drug lords and received gifts and protection money from syndicates.

“Given the ‘Tokhang’ campaign, which has killed thousands of people and supposedly drug dealers, the drug campaign loses its credibility when you hear of these allegations between high-ranking officials of the PNP,” Drilon said.

Duterte has overseen a narcotics crackdown under “Oplan Tokhang” in which police have killed more than 5,300 suspected drug dealers and users since he was elected three years ago.

Critics said the actual number of dead is at least three times higher.

Duterte’s drug war is his signature policy initiative and he defends it fiercely, especially from international critics and institutions, which he says do not care about the Philippines.

At the Valdai conference, Duterte continued his litany of saving families and the young generation against the effects of illegal drugs.

“With so many families created and become dysfunctional, you only have to have one addict in the family and the entire family collapses, becomes a socially disorganized unit. And I had to act fast,” Duterte said.

“And we saw mayors, city mayors, and the chairman of the most basic unit of government, 50,000 into drugs. And when I took over, I found out about nine generals were involved in the trafficking of drugs,” he added.

Duterte maintained he was fighting corruption and the trafficking of drugs “even in my government.”

“And that is why I had to do something very fast,” Duterte said.

Duterte is facing an initial inquiry before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over persons killed in his brutal campaign against drugs.

In March 2018, Duterte announced that he was annulling his country’s ratification of the Rome Statute “with immediate effect” in response to “shameless attacks” on his person by the ICC.

The Rome Statute was the legal basis for the foundation of the ICC in 2002.

Duterte made the move after ICC’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, initiated preliminary investigations against Duterte for suspected crimes against humanity in the Philippines’ so-called war on drugs. Romina Cabrera