Duterte turns down P200-M bribe

DAVAO CITY — Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday that he turned down an offer of P200 million from a drug lord in exchange for his release.

Duterte said the drug lord enticed him by saying that all it takes is a phone call for the funds to be transferred to his account.

The mayor rejected the bribe and reportedly retorted: "There is no cellphone in hell."

The drug lord was believed to be one of the big financiers of the illegal drugs trade in the country.

"There are times when I do not have money in my pocket, then I had this desire to raise this drug lord from the dead and demand the money he had offered me," Duterte said in jest at his weekly TV program "Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa."

Duterte stressed that money from illegal drugs have found their way to the pockets of those in authority.

"If you are not strong enough, you will really fall for the money. That is why we have many law enforcers who are also involved in such illegal activities," said Duterte, citing the case of a number of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officials who were themselves involved in the theft of several kilos of shabu from the agency’s evidence room.

The mayor likewise minced no words as he warned anew those who are involved in the illegal drugs trade.

"You put your life on the line for those who are in the illegal drugs trade," Duterte said.

The mayor said he would do everything to protect the public from the drug menace.

"I have sworn when I took my oath of office that I would do everything humanly possible for the good of the people," the mayor said.

Meanwhile, Duterte is expected to name the Maguindanao town mayor he earlier tagged as responsible for sneaking into the city at least 3.5 kilos of shabu.

"I will do it during the coming session of the City Council," Duterte said, in response to the demand of Parang, Maguindanao Mayor Abu Talib to name the official.

Duterte said he will identify the said suspected Maguindanao mayor and his cohorts in today’s session of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.

Aside from Duterte, the city council also invited to the session Davao City police office chief Senior Superintendent Catalino Cuy and PDEA Region XI head Wilikins Villanueva.

Duterte’s earlier announcement of the alleged involvement of a Maguindanao mayor in the delivery of shabu to Davao City, which at some point even used an ambulance, stirred the local executives in the province.