Duterte hits back at Grace: I don’t want an American president

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – Criticized for his human rights record by his rival Sen. Grace Poe, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte hit back yesterday, saying that he did not want an American to be president of the Philippines.

“Ayaw ko ng Amerikanong pangulo. The president should be a Filipino,” Duterte said without naming Poe, who is facing disqualification cases over her citizenship and residency.

Duterte had earlier said that he decided to run for president to prevent Poe from being elected after the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) decided that she was a natural-born Filipino citizen.

The SET violated the law when the five senator-members of the tribunal voted in favor of Poe, said Duterte, who attended the Christmas party at Pampanga’s Best Meat and Processing Plant in Barangay Dela Paz del Norte here.

The presidential aspirant vowed to eliminate criminals and corrupt government officials, and took potshots at another rival, Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas.

If Roxas is afraid to die or kill troublemakers, he should not run for president, Duterte said.

“I will definitely stop crime and corruption if elected president in 2016,” he said.

Duterte said if there would be no crime committed in every province, investors would come.

He said he would also definitely stop corruption if elected, as the mayor cited Davao City where there is no corruption.

“Corruption must stop,” Duterte said.

He also promised to eradicate illegal drug syndicates.

Duterte said illegal drugs would destroy the people, “that is why I will stop prohibited drugs.”

He said if a police chief is using drugs, “I would change him or probably kill him.”

But if the police chief will be involved in killing criminals, “I will protect him and promote him to a higher rank.”

Duterte said if he is elected, he will continue the development of Clark International Airport to decongest Metro Manila.  

He said if Clark airport would be developed, business will boom in Central and Northern Luzon.

Duterte also dared Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II to quit from seeking the presidency if he is afraid to die and kill people.

“Ang ibig sabihin ni Mar, hindi ko kayang pumatay? Ang advise ko kay Mar, Mar kung gusto kang maging presidente at effective ka, huwag kang matakot mamatay at wag kang matakot pumatay. At kung matakot kang mamatay at matakot kang pumatay, huwag kang tumakbong presidente,” Duterte said.

Duterte’s statement came after Roxas said that the peace in Davao City is just a myth and mere figment of imagination.

“Yes, I’m trying to believe because the person talking is also a political myth,” Roxas said, referring to Duterte.

Martial law effect

More than five months before the 2016 presidential elections, an official of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) warned the people that Duterte’s advocacy for the killing of criminals could have a martial law effect in society if the mayor becomes president. 

CHR spokesman Banuar Falcon said that the net effect of Duterte’s leadership could be the same as martial law with his admission to killing criminals, his plan to revive the death penalty and defiance of the Constitution.

“Without martial law in name, the net effect it could be, I’m not saying it will be [and] based on his pronouncements, apparently that’s what he wants to happen, my way or the highway, bale wala yung Saligang Batas (ignore the Constitution), bale wala yung (ignore the) Bill of Rights,” Falcon told The STAR.

The tough-talking Duterte said he would not hesitate to kill thugs, just like what he did in Davao City, to ensure that every Filipino could walk the streets free of illegal drugs, corruption and criminals.

He had also admitted in an interview with radio dzMM on Wednesday afternoon that he killed three criminals in Davao City three months after he was elected mayor in 1988.

Duterte, who topped the recent opinion survey in the National Capital Region (NCR), was implicated in the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) that was accused of killing suspected drug dealers and other criminals in Davao, but the CHR failed to present evidence that would link the mayor to the killings.

CHR chairman Chito Gascon recently urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other law enforcement agencies to investigate the veracity of Duterte’s confession of killing criminals. 

Duterte’s admission merits legal action, Gascon said in a television interview. 

Falcon expressed fears that Duterte truly intends to disregard the law and all legal processes in the country.

“I think that’s not just the fear of the CHR, but of everybody at large,” he said.

Asked if he sees a bloody administration should Duterte win the elections, Falcon said: “I see a colorful one, not necessarily a bloody one.”

He explained that Duterte’s administration might be full of surprises because of the notion that whoever contradicts him is worth killing.

“Who knows, maybe he could also restrict access to information pertaining to media. You know, things like that, these are all possibilities because for him it appears any enemy is worth killing,” he said. - With Robertzon Ramirez, Paolo Romero