Get rid of crime, drugs or lose police control
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has warned mayors of crime-ridden cities and towns to shape up, or be stripped of control over the local police force.
Speaking to reporters in Bohol, Duterte reiterated that he would rather keep his hands off jueteng or illegal numbers game operators, than let them fall to the illegal drug trade.
The President lamented the supposed “nonchalant” attitude of local government units toward fighting crime and illegal drugs.
“If a mayor cannot enforce law and order in their municipalities, I will just withdraw his deputization. If you cannot do your job I will remove your power over the police,” Duterte told reporters on Thursday evening.
The Local Government Code of 1991 grants mayors supervisory powers over police operations, with the local chief executive acting as the deputized representative of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
The Napolcom had stripped some mayors and a governor of supervision and control over the police because of their alleged drug links or abuse of authority.
Audit ordered
Duterte reiterated his directive to interior department officer in charge Eduardo Año to conduct an audit on the performance of local government units in fighting illegal drugs and other crimes.
“If you are the mayor, you are the president of your municipality. My God, how come your crime rates are high?” Duterte said in his remarks during the 25th Annual National Convention of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines in Bohol.
“If you’re not doing anything, I will file charges against you, and I will tell Año to dismiss you,” he added.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde on Friday said headquarters was ready to take control from mayors, if necessary, to solve the drug problem in towns and cities.
“The President must have noticed that some local chief executives are not giving enough support to their chiefs of police in implementing programs on peace and order,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.
“Some local chief executives and their chiefs of police are fighting like children. The former is recalling the latter’s mobile services, cutting gas supply, and removing the intelligence fund…How can we perform our duty if we are not receiving support from them (mayors)?” Albayalde said.
Albayalde admitted that the drug problem had been reduced because of local anti-drug programs. But he said he was still receiving reports of illegal drug activity from residents in Metro Manila, particularly in Pasig and Quezon City.
Jueteng vs drugs
President Duterte also said he was not keen on stopping the illegal numbers game jueteng as doing so could worsen the illegal drug trade.
“Itong jueteng, it’s a centuries-old na laro, sugal (Jueteng is a centuries-old game), and it has a very extensive and intensive network… Ang magpapalit diyan `yung mga drug lord. Sasakyan na lang nila `yung mechanism mismo (Drug lords will take over and will just adopt the mechanism),” Duterte told reporters.
The President also said there should be livelihood options for those who would be affected in case of a crackdown on jueteng.
Duterte said he would rather have jueteng than drugs, even though the numbers game is illegal.
“Now, between drugs and jueteng, the other administrations were not able to stop it, anyway. I’m not saying I won’t take any action, I will. But I am aware of the danger of what will develop after you stop jueteng,” he said.
The President said that one of these days he would summon the jueteng “lords” to Malacañang.
“Then I’ll ask them to choose if they will stop or will they be my enemy. Because if they will become my enemy, then it’s up to them,” he said.
On June 25, Duterte said the illegal numbers game was helping improve cash flow in the provinces, where he noted that economic activity was “in the doldrums.”
Jueteng illegal – Lacson
Sen. Panfilo Lacson insisted on Friday that jueteng is illegal and not exempt from being pursued by law enforcement authorities.
“There is an existing law declaring jueteng, among other forms of gambling, as illegal and it is not exempt from being pursued by law enforcement authorities,” the senator, who heads the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, said.
Lacson, who served as PNP chief during the term of President Joseph Estrada, said the illegal numbers game bred corruption among law enforcement agencies.
“There can be no legal justification not to arrest an offender who is committing a crime in the presence of a law enforcer, be it a drug offender or an illegal gambler,” he pointed out.
WITH ROY D.R. NARRA AND Jefferson Antiporda
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