DAVAO CITY, Philippines – After warning “narco mayors” of being killed by their police chiefs, President Duterte will meet with provincial governors to warn them they could be ambushed or poisoned if they don’t stop drug deals.
Duterte said he wanted to discuss with all the 81 provincial executives his relentless campaign against illegal drugs even if it would cost him his position, lamenting that more than 5,000 government officials, including some police officers, are identified in a narco list that he keeps.
“I’d be calling the governors next week. I’d really tell them, ‘you tell your barangay captains, you have supervisory powers on cities under you, those that are not yet charter cities, you tell the mayors,’ ” Duterte told businessmen in this city Saturday night.
While he knew he could not give governors a lecture, he said he would tell them, “Do not be complacent with me, sons of b******. I will really kill you. Believe me. I will find you and ambush or I’ll poison you.”
He showed the businessmen a list of those supposedly involved in the drug trade in the country.
“This is the drug industry of the Philippines. Inside are the names of policemen, barangay captains, mayors and a few governors. This is it, complete with pictures. And (former police general Vicente) Loot is there, this g*** na ito (fool),” Duterte said.
The chief executive feels it is necessary to call on the governors to remind them of their supervisory powers over mayors and barangay captains as he warned government officers who are involved in the illicit trade of death.
Last week, Duterte warned mayors involved in illegal drugs trade that they would be killed if they do not resign. He said he would continue to protect the nation from illegal drugs even if he goes down in history as a butcher.
The President reportedly threatened and badmouthed mayors linked to corruption and narcotics during their meeting at Malacañang Wednesday.
He confirmed that he cursed at local executives implicated in the drug trade.
“Baka akala ninyo nagbobolahan tayo dito. (Maybe you think I am not serious). I called the mayors in the Philippines, locked them down,” the President said, “Sinabi ko talaga sa kanila, totoo iyon (I really told them, it’s true) and I said, pardon my language… P**** i** ninyo (sons of b******)!”
“What hurts me is I am thinking that you’ll protect the people,” he added.
In his previous speeches, Duterte said about 2,000 barangay captains, mayors, a few governors and congressmen, and some judges were included in the list of officials with alleged connections to drug syndicates.
He has so far revealed the names of about 160 incumbent and former government officials believed to be involved in illegal drugs and has given the House of Representatives, Senate and Supreme Court copies of the thick drug list, admitting that he cannot put an end to the problem by himself.
The President emphasized that his war against illegal drugs is without letup even if it would cost him the presidency.
“If it causes my downfall, so be it. If I would be ousted, I’d be glad to go out. Coup d’état? Fine. But I won’t backtrack. I will finish this until the very last day. If it takes me six years, six years will be it,” Duterte said.
He added that even if he is “just from the province,” he is sincere in serving the country.
“I might be really a small time boy. No credentials, impressive ones, no nothing. But what I have is just a basic sense of my love for my country and for my children,” Duterte said. -– with Alexis Romero