Despite a drop on the number of Filipino families who fell victim to common crimes according to the latest survey of a private pollster, President Rodrigo Duterte still expressed his frustration over the result, saying that he felt ‘useless.’
“‘Pag ganito, wala ako’y silbi (If this is the case), I will ask you to join me, mag-resign na lang ta (let’s just resign),” Duterte said in a speech during the oath taking of the newly-elected village officials in Zamboanga del Sur on Tuesday, June 26.
The recent survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) from March 23 to 27 revealed that 6.6 percent or about 1.5 million Filipinos have been victims of common crimes such as pickpocket or robbery of personal property, break-ins, carjacking, and physical violence.
[READ: Number of Pinoy crime victims drops in Q1 of 2018 — SWS]
Although the SWS said it was a point lower than the 7.6 percent or 1.7 million Filipino families that were recorded in December 2017, the President said, “there seems to be a semblance of a republic and a nation but inside, it’s topsy-turvy. It’s crime-ridden.”
Duterte then chided some local government officials for being ‘nonchalant’ to the issue of criminality in their jurisdictions.
“There is always the illegal logging. There is always the illegal drugs. The high rate of crime in your municipality. Ano bang ginagawa ninyo (What are you doing)?” he asked.
“I do not mean to offend you. But the yoke of burden does not fall on me exclusively. Hindi ko kaya itong Republika na ito na patakbuhin kung wala kayo (I cannot run the Republic without you),” he continued.
Duterte, who earlier vowed to suppress criminality and illegal drugs in the Philippines, asked Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año to conduct an audit of local government officials whose places have high crime rate.
Contrary to the latest remark of the Chief Executive, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. previously welcomed the result of SWS’s survey which showed a decline in the number of crime victimization in the past six months, saying that significant strides have been made in the current administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and crimes.
“Such public sentiment is certainly a big boost to the morale of our law enforcement agencies as we vow to continue to ensure the safety of all Filipinos,” Roque said in a press briefing on Thursday, June 21.