Duterte: I’ll have my son killed if he’s involved in drugs

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will have his son killed if drug trafficking allegations against the younger politician are true, and that the police who carry out the hit will be protected from prosecution.

Paolo Duterte, 42, this month appeared before a senate inquiry to deny accusations made by an opposition lawmaker that he was part of a Chinese triad that helped smuggle in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.

The president did not refer to the allegations specifically, but reiterat ed his statement from last year’s election campaign that none of his children were involved in drugs, but they would face the harshest punishment if they were.

“I said before my order: ‘If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say’,” he said in a speech on Wednesday night before government workers at the presidential palace in Manila.

“So I told Pulong (Paolo’s nickname): ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught. And I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true’”.

Duterte has said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts and described children shot dead in the drug war as “collateral damage”.

But he has also repeatedly insisted that he has never instructed police to do anything illegal, and that they must only kill in selfdefence.

Duterte’s aides have cautioned journalists not to believe everything the president says, sometimes describing his comments as “merely rhetoric” or “hyperbole”.

Some opposition lawmakers and other Duterte critics allege that his family has long been involved in corrupt activities dating back to the president’s twodecade reign as mayor of the southern city of Davao.

Duterte denies all allegations of corruption and insists he is an antigraft crusader who lives a humble lifestyle.

In this month’s senate hearing, the opposition lawmaker said Paolo, who is vicemayor of Davao, and the president’s soninlaw were involved in a criminal syndicate called the “Davao Group”.

The pair have denied any wrongdoing. — AFP