President-elect Rodrigo Duterte takes a selfie with members of his Cabinet after their first formal meeting in Davao, Tuesday evening. Duterte presented to the media for the first time the members of his Cabinet, whom he called “men of honesty and integrity.”(MNS photo)
MANILA, June 2 (Mabuhay) – President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has offered a P3-million reward to those who can capture or kill high profile drug lords. He also put a bounty on the arrest of drug lords’ men.
Law enforcement officers found to be connected to drug trade will be heavily punished.
He added that incoming National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Dante Gierran has already been informed of this directive.
“Sabi ko, ‘Ilagay kita diyan pero sa isang kondisyon, na kapag may ahente ka na nagkakalat ito drugs and it comes to a fight, I want you to kill him personally. I want you to do the killing kasi sa iyo ko ibigay iyong P3 million,’” he said in a news briefing unveiling his Cabinet members on Tuesday night.
According to Duterte, the bounty came from his excess campaign funds, which is enough for 100 criminals.
Duterte’s chosen director general of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Chief Supt. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, said that giving rewards may motivate law enforcement officers to work harder.
“Additional motivation on their part iyan kaysa tatanggap sila ng pera galing sa drugs… Ang pulis hindi naman iyan bounty hunter. Hindi naman iyan hitman o gun for hire. I-neutralize mo iyong drug lord through legal means, kaya nga sinabi dead or alive. Kung lumaban mas maganda iyong patay siya [criminal] para hindi ikaw [police] iyong mamatay,” he said.
Duterte ran his campaign with a promise to suppress crime and drug-related activities in three to six months.
To fulfill this, he has tapped both the police and the military.
“I’m not saying you kill them, but the order is dead or alive. It’s a subject sa kanilang turo ‘When to kill and when not to kill’—when is it legal to kill, when is it unlawful to take another man’s life? Pagka sinabi kong dead or alive, alam na nilang kung tumaas ang kamay talagang alive iyan. Pagka lumaban, dead iyan. I don’t want to see a dead policeman or agent or whatever,” he explained. (MNS)