(Photo: President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s official Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY – President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has announced he would reward PHP3 million to police and military officials who can get big-time illegal drug pushers, dead or alive.
“I am not saying you kill them but the order is dead or alive,” Duterte told reporters in a press conference at the Presidential Guest House, also called the Malacañang of the South at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) depot in Panacan here.
He said he has the money for the reward that came from people who donated funds for his campaign. He said he has the unspent money ready for the drug pushers. “I don’t want to get (of the money) for too long. Hindi ‘yan kasali sa sinabi ni Trillanes (That is not included in what (Sen. Antonio) Trillanes has said).”
Duterte said the amount of reward money would depend on how influential the drug trafficker is – PHP1 million for supervisor and PHP50,000 for small-time drug peddlers.
This developed as Duterte vowed to cleanse the country of illegal drugs in three months as promised during the election campaign.
Getting the country of illegal drugs is one of his campaign agenda – the other two are solving criminality and stopping corruption.
Duterte even plans to use the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the fight against illegal drugs.
Duterte however said the operation versus illegal drugs must be done within the bounds of the law, emphasizing that law enforcers know when an operation becomes unlawful. According to him, a police officer does not kill a man who surrenders, but shoots those who fight back.
“I don’t want to see a police dead,” he added.
Duterte also wants his incoming National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran to kill any of his agents involved in illegal drugs.
He will also ask Congress to amend the probation law to exempt drug cases. He said many drug pushers who were able to avail of the probation law have jumped bail and continued with their illegal activities.
“Ganun lang ang paraan para mahinto ang droga (That’s the only way to stop drugs). Do not destroy our country, do not destroy our children because I will kill you,” Duterte said.