Believe sniffer dogs rather than Duterte?

It is disturbing that some people would rather believe drug-sniffing dogs than the President of the Philippines when he said that no narcotics were hidden in the magnetic lifters found Friday by government raiders in a Cavite warehouse.

On the basis of the dogs’ sniffing and other circumstances (such as the magnetic lifters being similar to those earlier found stuffed with some 500 kilos of illegal drugs consigned to the same firm), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that the Cavite raid was positive.

Relying on contrary information, however, President Duterte dismissed as mere speculation PDEA’s report that drugs had been hidden in the lifters.

Duterte said: “I’d like to address myself to all government agencies. Iyong sabi nila na those they found that the metal... But they opened it, there was none. It was pure speculation…. They were assuming that for those metal, magnetic contain… So they bore a hole, there was nothing there.”

Agents of the PDEA found last week in a warehouse in General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite, lifters similar to those that came with a shipment that yielded P4.3 billion worth of shabu at the Manila International Container Port three days earlier.

Before Duterte debunked the PDEA report, Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña told a House committee inquiry Tuesday that their examination of the lifters yielded no traces of methamphethamine hydrochloride (shabu).

Lapeña reported that his men, with police and PDEA personnel, processed the warehouse and the lifters “but this yielded negative result for the presence of dangerous drugs.” The President apparently believed the customs chief, not the PDEA.

Lawyer Ruel Lasala of the PDEA, however, stood by his agency’s report that the lifters had traces of drugs. He said that the dogs sat down as they sniffed the lifters, indicating that the canines smelled traces of drugs.

As of this writing, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino has not explained his controverted conclusions on the raid. As for the dogs, as obviously they cannot submit their own post-operation report, we hope nothing untoward happens to them.

• True or false: Duterte is resigning!

The credibiliy of President Duterte was again put to the test when he announced Tuesday on TV that he wanted to resign, familiar remarks that he makes now and then, eliciting mostly partisan reaction. We watched him say on DZMM TeleRadyo:

“Guys, I want you to know that I am thinking of stepping down because I am tired. Well, I am not against or angry against anybody. My chase against graft and corruption seems to be endless and it has contaminated almost all government department and offices. But I want to assure you that for each and every department you have a head that is very good. But you know… every project seems to go kaput at the end of the day.”

While straining to catch the roar of 16 million followers begging Duterte to stay, we gathered random reactions on Twitter:

YBK22 @YBKiunisala: Oh shut up and do it already!

NannieLet ShabuCeña @Nanie_Maldita: Katagal na nyang drama mong bumaba sa pwesto, kung iyong mamarapatin kay sarap mong tadyakan palabas sa palasyo.

Xynzia @CynthiaGalindo8: Puro mga appointees mo din naman ang involved sa graft and corruption eh.

axolotl @wowhatalaga: Charot! Ilang beses na yan sinabi?

Lyn Fuentes Parcon @lyn_parcon: mapapagod ka tlga ksi gusto mo umangat ang pinas hinihila namn pababa ng anti duterte. ano nalang gagawin lahat nalang may say.

PinayPie @IamPinayPie: Yung mga kritiko ko ba nagpapatakbo ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno. Si katay mismo nagsabi di siya bothered sa criticisms. Kung ganun, dapat hindi mahila siya ng mga kritiko pababa. Bakit hindi na lang aminin n ginulo nya Pilipinas tapos di nya maibalik sa ayos.

NannieLet ShabuCeña @Nanie_Maldita: Oi? Anong hinihila? Mga kawani nya yata ang nagpalala sa sitwasyon ateh.

Charlie Mike @unlicomments: Dami ng kita. Pwede na magretire. Tone-tonelada ba naman!

Skulloh Mania @skullohmania: Ang tagaaaaaaal. Bilisan mo na.

Tudorose @tudorlalas: Huwag ng pag isipan. Magbitiw na lang.

Daughter of Mindanao @tessgarcia: Eh di gawin mo na.

My Opinion @myopinion_ph: huwag naman po Pres digong, kaw lang ang totoong tao na naging pangulo maliban pa kay pres Marcos.

GinaDaBo$$ @ginalingansaNYC: Translation: He is dying.

Pirate X @chinitony07: Kahit mamatay ka pa, wala kaming paki. Pakibilisan!

spoon @bajuke27: Ang problema walang Isip!

Aljojojaja @aljojojaja: YES!!! Thanks for hearing our prayers Poon Digs.

Mark @tropagoalstropa: Paulit-ulit naman ang script, palitan scriptwriter! Daming drama ng lolo mo.

Mach Collete @macholitako: Gawin mo na laang, itay... Para di na paulit ulit.

Ano na? @16MillionVotes: Punta ka sa comedy bar andun mga komedyante.

Nettesque @nettesque: Ung mga nagsulsol na tumakbo siya, di nila hahayaan yan.

Rose @rosaliemiranda: Go na go ako dyan, ang tagal naman.

LEO @WandererXx: Tagal naman. Hahaha.

JML: @jmonial:  Hindi bagau sayo nag-iisip kasi pa-bago-bago isip mo. Maganda bumaba ka na sa pwesto bago pa totally ma-lugmok ang Pinas.

JONES @jonesmsaltat: Do it now!

anjocruz @anjocruz6: Now naaaaaa puhleease.

Opinio @imnursepau:  Bumaba ka na kasi! Dami mong kuda.

now na @gisingpinas: dapat bukas na bukas din. wag ka ng maghanap ng competent pa. maraming matalino sa pinas at hindi mga pulitiko.

TonyPana @AP_Pana: DU30 is indirectly saying that the Military will take over instead of VPLeniRobredo once he steps down! Is he joking?

Phoebe @Phoebe70673446: Maniwala ka diyan. Drama na naman yan. Telenobela levels na ang gobyerno natin. Puro press release na lang. Wala sa reality.

Elizabeth Velasco @Bebet4444: Yehey!!

Eriene Lao @erienelao: Ang tagal! Now na!

C. Antz @pinoyling: Pls do step down President Duterte. Robredo will make a better President than you. And with you leaving we can get rid of the hatred, evil and darkness you’ve brought to our country and replace it with love and positivity.

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