Margot to drug personalities: ‘Get lost, best time to leave Cebu now’

CEBU, Philippines - It is time for drug personalities in Cebu City to “get lost.”

Acting mayor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña said this after the pronouncement of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte that he will offer a P5.5-million bounty for every slain drug lord in Cebu.

In her press conference yesterday, Margot said it is “good” that Duterte added zeroes to what her husband, mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña, gives to police officers who kill criminals and drug personalities.

“Imagine? You know how many people will be encouraged to do that?” Margot told reporters, referring to the killing of those in the illegal drug trade.

When asked if she has new directives to the Cebu City Police Office considering the bigger bounty Duterte offered, Margot said the police already know what they are doing.

She said it is up to Tomas to stop giving P50,000 to every policeman who can kill a person involved in illegal drugs after Duterte offered a much bigger cash reward.

“It’s up to him (Tomas). When I was asked if I support it, I said I just want to have a peaceful Cebu City. Between P50,000 and P5.5m, where will you go?” Margot said.

She said she does not know if the policeman who can kill a drug personality can get both rewards from Duterte and Tomas.

She, too, believes that giving rewards deter crimes.

“I really think so. Because if you know somebody’s looking for you, you’ll hide or you’ll get out. That’s what we wanted to do, for them (drug personalities) to get out. You’ve seen the…(ill) effects of drugs,” she said.

She, though, said she understands that the Commission on Human Rights is doing its job in investigating operations of police officers.

“That’s their job. Sure. But again, even me since before, I always felt…that the victims are not given the justice that they should be given…. Yes it’s true that everybody has the right, all the victims have rights. But are they just forgotten because they are gone?” Margot said.

Sought for comment, Tomas said he was not able to discuss the giving of bounty for every slain drug lord when he met with Duterte, who was in Cebu Wednesday night to celebrate his victory with the Cebuanos. 

“No. we didn’t discuss one second about that,” Tomas said.

He vowed to continue giving P50,000 for every criminal killed, saying the money is for the police officers so that they could defend themselves in times of trouble.

He believed that some police officers are ineffective because they do not have enough to spend defending themselves especially when they are in trouble for doing their duty.

When asked if police officers will get both the P50,000 from him and the P5.5 million from Duterte, Tomas said “it depends on how quick the president acts.” (FREEMAN)