President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to continue serving their mandate of confronting criminals in observance of the members of the media.
Duterte told reporters that journalists should be on the forefront of anti-drug raids and operations from beginning to end to see if there are abuses of exercise of authority.
“Now, this is an order: Bring the media at paunahin mo sila [let them lead it] so that they can get the story from the beginning to the end… Do not make raids now without the media. Pero [but] , see to it that it is — if it’s a camera, if there’s a reporter, see to it that they are there in the beginning up to the end,” Duterte said.
The president also directed the police to continue compelling criminals in the performance of their duty and overcome resistance if there is a ‘serious violent’ confrontation.
“Continue with your work. Confront the criminals in the performance of your duty then make the arrest and if there is a serious violent resistance, overcome that resistance. Why? Because you have to bring him to the court or bring him to the police station. You have to overcome otherwise there is no arrest kapag sinabi mo [because if you said] you are under arrest,” Duterte added.
Duterte, serving as the commander-in-chief, also came on the policemen’s defense, saying that deaths in the police operations are just consequences of their resistance to the arrests.
“That is why people who resist arrest talagang binoborjak [are (killed)] because the law…when the police arrest you with the duty of the criminal to surrender and the police will bring them to the station kapag ayaw [if they resist], then the police has to forcibly graffle with him bodily kapag tinamaan, nabubugbog [ if hit or mugged] what do you expect kapag lumaban magsuntok sa police [if they tried to battle with the police]. If your resist arrest, that is the consequence,” he said.
“Ngayon, ayaw niyo maniwala, sinasabi ko sa inyo yung mga durugista… [Now you don’t believe me, I tell you the drug suspects] I am not attributing to any incident of person but those criminals lalo na yung mga tuliling (crazy) na nasa droga [most especially those who are on the drug trade]. I suggest to the police that bring hoard of media to their operations. Na dalhin mo lahat ng media sige maglinya kayo diyan tignan ninyo [bring all of the media, let them fall in line] and we will try to make an arrest and see what develops,” the president added.
Duterte also advice to the police to make people believe the unbelieving.
“Mas mabuti kapag gitna kayo [It is better for you to be in the middle] and that is my advice to the police if it is the unbelieving, make them believe,” he said.