Pubdate: Tue, 28 Jun 2016
Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines)
Copyright: 2016 Philippine Daily Inquirer
Contact:  http://www.inquirer.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073
Author: Nico Alconaba

DIGONG DEFENDS WAR ON DRUGS, CRIME, GRAFT

DAVAO CITY - For the first time in two decades, Mayor Rodrigo 
"Digong" Duterte appeared before city employees in Monday's 
flag-raising ceremony and spoke for nearly an hour about his 
oft-repeated campaign against drugs, crime and corruption when he 
assumes the presidency in two days.

Duterte defended his imminent war on crime, hitting out at "stupid" 
human rights campaigners, and emphasized that the death penalty was 
for retribution.

"These human rights (groups), congressmen, how stupid you are," he 
said, as he highlighted their criticism of his plans to impose 
late-night curfews on children being out in the streets and to 
reintroduce the death penalty.

"I believe in retribution. Why? You should pay. When you kill 
someone, rape, you should die," he said.

Duterte, 71, won last month's presidential election after campaigning 
largely on a platform of ending rampant crime, warning that the 
Philippines was in danger of becoming a narcostate.

He promised that tens of thousands of people would die, with security 
forces being given shoot-to-kill orders.

Since winning, Duterte has also promised to give bounties to police 
for killing drug dealers. He also encouraged ordinary citizens to 
kill or arrest suspects.

Duterte has been accused of links to vigilante death squads during 
his nearly two decades as mayor of Davao, which rights groups say 
have killed more than 1,000 people.

Extrajudicial killings

Local and foreign human rights groups have expressed deep concern 
about his plans as President, fearing an explosion of extrajudicial 
killings similar to those seen in Davao.

The United Nations' human rights chief, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, this 
month urged Duterte not to reintroduce the death penalty, while 
criticizing other elements of the planned war on crime.

"The offer of bounties and other rewards for murder by vigilantes, 
and his encouragement of extrajudicial killings by security forces, 
are massive and damaging steps backwards which could lead to 
widespread violence and chaos," Zeid said.

With just three days to go before assuming the presidency, Duterte stood firm.

"When they describe or characterize a human rights violator, these 
fools make it appear that the people you kill are saints, as if they 
are pitiful or innocent," he said.

Duterte said European ambassadors were also among those who had 
expressed concern over the death penalty and extrajudicial killings.

The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 2006 following fierce 
opposition from the Catholic Church, the religion of 80 percent of Filipinos.

Duterte previously said he preferred death by hanging to a firing 
squad because he did not want to waste bullets, and because he 
believed snapping the spine with a noose was more humane.

Working hours

City employees, who asked not to be named, said the last time Duterte 
attended the flagraising ceremony was in the mid-1990s. The mayor is 
known to report for work at 3 p.m. and end his day at 3 a.m.

The crowd, numbering more than 700, stood between Quezon Park, which 
was cordoned off by policemen, and City Hall. It was the first time 
many showed up for the heavily secured event but they were prohibited 
from getting too near to the mayor, one employee said.

"You cannot go near me because they (Presidential Security Group 
members) will stop you. They believe you will kill me," he said, 
soliciting laughter from the crowd. "I also cannot go near you 
because they will stop me."

Duterte said he was always arguing with his security men. "They tell 
me where to go. We keep on arguing," he said, but he acknowledged 
that they were only doing their job.

"They told me that if I get killed during their watch, they will be 
held responsible," he said.

Duterte spoke for about 50 minutes, reiterating his policies on 
corruption and illegal drugs.

Curfew for minors

He said he would implement nationwide the 10 p.m. curfew on minors in the city.

Minors who are not accompanied by an adult on the streets will not be 
arrested, he said, but their parents will be held for abandonment.

The mayor said he was still "thinking" on whether to implement 
nationwide the 2 a.m. liquor ban.

Duterte said he would not use the vehicles that past Presidents used. 
"I will not ride on the Mercedes Benz," he said. "All those who rode 
that were either impeached or imprisoned."

And just like in his recent public announcements, Duterte stressed 
his administration's campaign against drugs and corruption.

"There will be no corruption," he said, adding that if he learned 
that someone from his administration is involved in corruption, "I 
will just whisper to you to go."

"It has to stop. I am hell-bent in stopping corruption," Duterte 
said. "Please remember that you will never get any help from me if 
you have corruption cases."

- - With a report from AFP
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom