CEBU, Philippines - If he gets re-elected, former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña will reward a considerable amount to any police officer who manages to kill a drug lord.
"If a policeman kills a drug lord, as long as it is covered by law, he will get P50,000 from me," said Osmeña during the 'Know Your Candidate: Cebu Vote 2016 Roundtable' of The FREEMAN and Banat News last Friday.
Osmeña said among his platforms in government is to solve the criminality and illegal drugs in Cebu City.
His stance on the matter, Osmeña said, is making other people think that he is actually supporting Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for president, instead of his partymate Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas.
"I have to choose. When it comes to peace and order, Duterte is number one. There is no number two. But, I also have to figure out. One of the big problems here in the city is the eco-nomy and Mar is that guy," the mayoral aspirant said.
Asked how he will solve the crimes in the city, Osmeña said he will have barangay tanods armed. He stressed that the tanods will undergo training first.
He said barangay ta-nods will serve as force multipliers to augment the police force, since the city does not have enough policemen.
When he was still the mayor, Osmeña said, he found out the "defective intelligence system" of the city's police force.
"Kun duna ta'y tulis, atong mga police, gamiton ang asset to find out kun kinsa'y mastermind. Unsa'y problem? Inig abot sa panahon, ang assets naa'y sala and makahangyo sa policeman, so, makagawas," he said.
According to Osmeña, assets are "not good people" but policemen are protecting them. This means that policemen are protecting criminals, he added.
"Ang problema sa pulis kay ilang gamiton ang assets pagsulbad sa krimen nga kasagaran mao ra say involved og crime," Osmeña further said.
All police officers should respond to any alarm, no matter how petty the complaint is, Osmeña said. He added that every police station should have better communication and mobility. (FREEMAN)