President’s sweeping accusation

President Rodrigo Duterte’s accusation that almost all policemen in Cebu (not specified whether the city or the province) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 agents are drug addicts is sweeping and should cause alarm among the officials of the two law enforcement agencies. During his recent visit here, the President also warned those involved that, sooner or later, the long arms of the law will catch them. Okay lang kun madakpan, apan kun mapatay?

Of course, we know that there are still many policemen who are dedicated. It’s common that in every organization there are bad eggs and scalawags. We have to separate the chaff from the grain by eliminating them through administrative sanction. But the Duterte administration has adopted a more “brutal” way of eliminating them through extra-judicial killings.

The President’s recent statement that he will give P5 million to those who can kill a “ninja/bad cop” will aggravate the issue. Expect more operatives killed, especially those involved in shenanigans. I think the president is serious about this as shown in his all-out war against drugs.

So, what is the police leadership in the region doing after the pronouncement of the chief executive? Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Chief Debold Sinas said he will go after these police addicts. In what way, General? Through extra-judicial killings like what happened to policemen allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade? I don’t want to mention any names so as not to hurt the feelings of the aggrieved families but I suspect the killings of law enforcers were government-sponsored.

PDEA 7 conducted a surprise drug test on its personnel after the president’s pronouncement. But in fairness, PDEA agents assigned here are new. They came from Region 6 while those they replaced are now in Region 6.

But this is very ironic because PDEA is at the forefront in the fight against illegal drugs. Yet they are accused of being drug addicts by no less than the chief executive. The president also revealed that Cebu City and Talisay City are hotbeds of illegal drugs.

Again, this is a big slap on the faces of the local executives of the two cities. What are they doing to curb the illegal drugs trade in their respective local government units. The president’s pronouncement has revived the animosities between the “former political has-been” and Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas after the former accused the latter of being a “lousy’” mayor that is why he failed to address the serious drugs problem in his city.

Tan-awa ra kun unsa pagkahilabtanon ning mayora. He criticized Gullas but look at what’s happening in his own backyard? There are several barangays in the city that are heavily affected by illegal drugs. There are even barangay officials who are his political allies that were suspected of being into illegal drug trade. And what is he doing? Playing deaf?

I suggest that before he dip his fingers into the other LGUs’ affairs and criticize his counterparts, he should mind his own business by cleaning first his jurisdiction. Kusog kang manaway sa uban unya sa imong kaugalingon nga tugkaran wala ka makasulbad sa susamang problema?

We’re asking Peter Lim, please surrender. If you are innocent, prove your innocence in court. I’ve just asked him to surrender. PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESPERSON HARRY ROQUE, ON BUSINESSMAN AND SUSPECTED DRUG DEALER PETER LIM, WHO IS IN HIDING AFTER THE COURT ISSUED A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST