President Rodrigo Duterte, in his first speech for 2019, gave a warning to those “big time” personalities involved in illegal drug trade: He will not have a second thought to slit their throats in his remaining years as the country’s chief executive.
Duterte said this during the birthday celebration of former Presidential Adviser Francis Tolentino in Tagaytay City on Thursday, January 3.
“‘Pag big time ka, hindi kita papatawarin. Sa harapan ng (If you are big time, I won’t forgive you. In front of) human rights, I will slit your throat,” the President said.
“Wala akong pakialam. Sabihin ko sa inyo, huwag mong gawain ‘yan sa bayan ko (I do not care. I told you already not to do it to my country),” he added.
Duterte, whose term will end on 2022, assured that the drug lords will be ‘hit’ in his three remaining years.
“And if you ask me kung mamatay ‘yan? Mamamatay talaga ‘yan (if they will die? Yes, they will),” he stressed.
Duterte launched his war on drugs as he took the presidency in 2016. Since then, he has been earning criticisms several government officials and various organizations, especially from local and international rights groups, due to the thousands of deaths linked to his anti-illegal drug campaign.
Complaints were also filed against the Chief Executive before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the drug killings.
In his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2018, Duterte said his drug war is “far from over.”
“The illegal drugs war will not be sidelined. Instead, it will be as relentless and chilling, if you will, as on the day it began,” the President earlier said.
Duterte stressed that while the concern of the rights groups is “human rights,” his concern, on the other hand, is “human lives.”
“Lives of youths are being wasted and family lives are being destroyed,” he added.
On the same day of his third SONA, Pulse Asia reported that 69 percent of Filipinos believed that Duterte’s war on drugs was his administration’s “most important accomplishment.”
[READ: Pulse Asia: 69% of Filipinos think drug war is Duterte’s most important achievement]