Duterte lauded Trump’s desire to follow PH war on drugs

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte peers through the scope of a sniper rifle as he leads the ceremonial shoot during the opening ceremony of the National Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Challenge at the Team Davao Inc. Pistol and Rifle Range in Ma-a, Davao City on March 1, 2018. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday praised United States (US) President Donald Trump for reportedly wanting to follow his controversial campaign against illegal drugs.

“Was it yesterday or the other day? Tignan mo ‘yung (Look at the) front page ng (of) either Bulletin or ‘yung Philippine Star. ‘Trump: we would like to follow Duterte because they have no problem in the Philippines, he just killed them’,” Duterte said in a speech before policemen, soldiers, jail officers in Davao City.

“Tama ka talaga Trump. Bilib ako sa iyo. Nagsasabi ka ng totoo (You are right Trump. I’m impressed with you. You are telling the truth),” he added.

Duterte said that he would want drug personalities to fight back so they could be counteracted by arresting legislators.

“Bakit kung lumaban ka, hindi kita patayin? Hay naku, yan nga ang gusto ko. Mas gusto ko lumaban ka (Why, if you fight, won’t I kill you? My goodness, that’s what I like. I want you to fight),” he said.

Duterte was referring to an Axios report where Trump was reported to have said that he would love to have a law executing all drug personalities in the U.S., thinking that drug dealers are the same with serial killers and deserve the death penalty.

However, Trump admitted that it would not be easy to get this harsh punishment passed under the American system.

“You know the Chinese and Filipinos don’t have a drug problem. They just kill them,” Axios quoted Trump as saying.

During his speech, the President also said that the United States has started its own “Tokhang” campaign by conducting anti-drug operations to nab alleged drug dealers.

“They were able to capture a website tapos lahat ng transactions sa droga, inagaw nila (They were able to capture a website and they seized all drug transactions),” Duterte said.

“Dinetain nila incommunicado ‘yung mga drug people and they operated it. So nalaman nila lahat, lahat tino-tokhang (They detain drug people incommunicado and they operated it. So they are able to know everything, everyone is being arrested),” he added.

Last November, during their private meeting in Manila, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that Trump lauded Duterte and his administration’s anti-drug campaign.

“I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem,” Trump told Duterte in a phone call.

“Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that,” he added.

The administration’s war on drugs drew flak from individuals and groups around the globe as the Duterte’s anti-drug campaign took the lives of more than 12,000 drug suspects, according to the New York-based Human Rights Watch’s report.

The Philippine government, however, refuted this data, stressing that the number of alleged drug offenders killed in police operations is only at around 4,000.