MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte maintained he was serious in saying he dumped the bodies of suspected drug lords in remote areas in the country to counter critics’ claims that his signature drug war has failed.
“Oo seryoso. And I will call the representatives of the human rights to witness the event. I really hate illegal drugs,” Duterte told CNN Philippines late Friday.
Duterte said he remains steadfast in his campaign promise to dump the bodies of drug offenders in Manila Bay as fish food.
Thousands of suspected drug offenders have died since Duterte unleashed his bloody crackdown against illegal drugs following his landslide election in 2016.
Critics said Duterte’s drug war has failed miserably in its failure to catch the major players behind illegal drugs.
“No drug lord was killed? Oh come on. This is why I kept repeating myself... you separate the shaft from the grain,” he said.
In a speech before local executives in Malacañang last Thursday, Duterte claimed he threw the bodies of suspected drug personalities in Manila Bay, Laguna de Bay and in the ravines of Benguet province before outlining names linked to drug operations in their provinces.
Some of them were brutally killed in police drug sting operations, but some – such as former Iloilo mayor Jed Mabilog – went into hiding after he was subjected to vicious public rants by the President last year.
Duterte mentioned several local officials who were killed in anti-drug operations by the police.
Duterte cited the killing Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa, suspected drug lord Malvin Odicta and Ozamiz mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, who was killed with 15 others in a simultaneous raid in his house and his associated properties on 2017. All were in Duterte’s narcolist.
Duterte said he is not a fool to admit ordering their killings. He said he was just warning the targets to stop their illegal activities or else.
“I was just warning them. I am not threatening them outright unless you really want me to kill you,” he said.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier said it has no information regarding Duterte’s claim that he has dumped corpses of drug traffickers in Manila Bay and ravines in Mountain Province.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the President could just be putting emphasis on the war on drugs which has so far killed at least 6,300 suspected drug offenders.