Duterte raises drug ‘red flags’ in Lucena, Batangas
Credit to Author: CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT| Date: Thu, 18 Apr 2019 16:13:06 +0000
President Rodrigo Duterte has revealed that red flags had been raised over Lucena City in Quezon province and in Batangas because of the proliferation of illegal drugs there.
In his speech during a campaign rally in Batangas City on Wednesday night, Duterte said illegal drugs were prevalent in Batangas and Lucena despite the government’s efforts to combat the narcotics trade.
“Talagang sabi ko pupunta ako ng (I said I will go to) Batangas. Please do not be offended, tutal para sa bayan man ‘to at wala ho akong tinutukoy na tao dito (this is for the country and I am not mentioning anyone). I talk in general terms,” he added.
“Apparently, Lucena and Batangas right now appear to be in the — with a red flag in the map of [the] drug scene,” the President said.
With the two areas placed on the drug map, Duterte has vowed to hunt down those involved in the narcotics trade and criminality during his term.
He explained that he had a mandate to preserve and protect the Filipino nation from the threats of drugs and criminality.
“Do not f*** with drugs because if you destroy my country while I am there sitting, p****g i*a mo papatayin talaga kita (son of a b***h, I will really kill you),” the President said.
“Diyan ako galit. Kaya sabi ko talagang pupunta ako dito. Naka-red flag kayo, e. Lucena pati Batangas. Marami. Kaya bukas mag-harvest na naman tayo. Eh, kaligaya ko na lang pumatay ng p****g i***g kriminal (This really makes me angry, so I said I will really go here. Lucena and Batangas have been red flagged. Tomorrow we will start to harvest. It’s my happiness to kill these son of a b***h criminals),” he added.
Last month, Duterte released a list of 46 government officials involved in the drug trade, which involved two mayors from Batangas (Lemery town Mayor Eulalio Mendoza Alilio and Ibaan town Mayor Juan Toreja) and the mayor of Lucena City (Mayor Roderick Alcala).
Alcala has denied the allegation, which he said was politically motivated.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has already filed administrative cases against the officials.
Duterte, a former city mayor, beat his more moneyed rivals and won the race to Malacañang in 2016, promising to eradicate crime and solve the country’s drug menace in three to six months.
He later sought a six-month extension in his drug crackdown, saying he was shocked by the magnitude of the problem when he became President.
Human rights watchdogs at home and abroad say most of the fatalities in the government’s anti-narcotic drive were extrajudicial killings committed by police officers, something the Duterte administration has vehemently denied.
Last week, the President vowed to rid the country of illegal drugs before his term ends in 2022.
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