Rody repeats vow to quit if drug war fails

DAVAO CITY – President Duterte said if he could not protect the people, then it would be better for him to resign.

“What’s the use of electing me as President kung hindi ako makapagbigay ng proteksyon? Ni hindi ko ma ‘yung mga anak niyo maging gunggong, ano pa nag-Presidente eh ‘di mag-resign na lang (if I can’t give you protection, can’t even protect your children from harm, I will resign as president),” Duterte said in remarks during the San Beda Law School Alumni homecoming the other night at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Duterte said the problem is the absence of security in the country.

“Ang problema niyan is, wala nang security ang bayan. ‘Pag walang security ang bayan (the problem is there is no more security in the country, if there is no security), what is the purpose here of mixing together in a society if we cannot protect ourselves?” he added.

The President likewise pointed out that he has been telling the military to tell him to step down if it begins sensing his inability to perform his job.

“Yun ang sinabi ko sa mga sundalo (that’s what I told the soldiers), If I cannot do the job, why waste your time? Sibat na ako (I quit).” You wait until the third year kung wala kayo makitang kabutihan sa ginagawa ko. Inyo na (I you can’t see any good in my work, you can have it),” Duterte said.

“If he cannot control drugs, then maybe it is time for him to think about resigning,” he said on what the military should be telling him.

“Yan ang mahirap diyan. Unang-una (first comes first), you reduce a number of Filipinos to slavery to a chemical that whenever the monkey climbs on his back, he has to have the money for the shabu and he will steal, he will kill, he will do anything there,” the President said.

Duterte had earlier said that it was too late in the day for him to back out from his all-out war against illegal drugs.

The President said the war against illegal drugs would remain relentless in spite of the criticisms he gets especially from human rights groups.

Duterte stressed he is not slowing down or stopping in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“I cannot back out from it. I have a promise to keep to the millions who voted for me,” he pointed out.

Duterte said he doesn’t care about criticisms anymore as long as he is able to do something concrete in the campaign against illegal drugs.

He has time and again warned the international community not to meddle in the drug war in the country.

The President said it has somehow become his obsession to really fight illegal drugs.

Duterte explained that when he first became mayor of Davao City in the late 1980s, his first move was to target illegal drugs.

“You know why? I was a prosecutor. And you can just imagine the pain in my heart every time a case is dismissed,” he added.

He said that sometimes the police investigators failed to attend court hearings or the servers of court summons in the cases involving illegal drugs also were involved in anomalies and usually did not properly serve summons leading to the dismissal of cases against drug suspects.

The President also urged the local officials to do their part in getting rid of illegal drugs in their communities.

“Just tell me. Ako ang may hawak ng alas dito (I hold the Aces here). Congress, Supreme Court, prosecution, wala yan (they’re nothing),” Duterte said.

He said he is ready to grant absolute pardon and restore political and civil rights of local officials convicted for crimes stemming from their performance of their task to stop illegal drugs.