DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has begged off from helping three Dabawenyos who might be meted the death penalty on drug charges in other countries.
Emerson Rosales, officer-in-charge of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Southern Mindanao, earlier said there are two female and one male Dabawenyos being tried on drug charges in Brazil and China since 2009. He said two are from Davao del Sur and the third, from Davao City.
Rosales said the three Dabawenyos were overseas workers when an international drug syndicate recruited them as drug mules.
He said the three obviously knew what they were doing since one of them even swallowed 38 capsules of heroin when arrested in Brazil.
Asked if he is willing to help the three Dabawenyos, Duterte said, “The law is the law and we must respect it.”
“Count me out. I’m sad but count me out,” he added.
Duterte said he has no heart for people who get involved in the illegal drug trade.
Rosales said there are presently 680 Filipinos facing drug charges overseas, 84 of them in China where convicted drug couriers are meted the death penalty.