Give me another year to finish drug woes—Duterte

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Despite criticisms from international human rights groups on government’s fight contra illegal drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday asked another year to finish the country’s problem with drugs.

“Wala na akong istorya pa na ang [I don’t have any words about] extrajudicial killing. It will happen if it will happen. It cannot happen, if it cannot happen. Wala akong pakialam basta sabi ko sa droga [I don’t care but my say on illegal drugs], I hope to finish the problem maybe give me just another year, “ Duterte said during the Mass Oath Taking of Presidential Appointees at Heroes’ Hall, Malacañang Palace.

Duterte had earlier said that all complaints regarding his campaign to suppress illegal drugs will just fall on deaf ears.

[READ: Duterte to drug op critics: ‘Your complaints would just fall on deaf ears’]

Duterte also reiterated his proposal on September to invite the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) to monitor any abuses under the police’s drug operations.

“The Human Rights Commission can come here, international and I will provide them an office. Bigyan ko silang building diyan sa – sumama na sila. Basta ako tatapusin ko talaga ‘yan [I will provide them a building, let’s come together. I will finish this],” Duterte said.

“When I was mayor and then I became President, I only have one message for everybody: ‘Do not destroy my country because I will kill you. Do not destroy the young Filipinos, they are our only assets,’” he added.

PNP’s return to drug war

On Tuesday, the chief executive signed a memorandum ordering the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies to rejoin the government’s war against illegal drugs.

“This is to announce that the President approved a memorandum order directing the PNP and other law enforcement agencies, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Customs (BoC), Philippine Postal Corporation (Philpost), to resume providing active support to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing at the Palace.