Rody defends drug campaign: I will never deny it
With the shadow of his drug war’s human rights violations hovering over his presidency, President Duterte addressed the alleged crime against humanity hurled against him before the International Criminal Court when he delivered his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) last night.
“I will be straightforward again, I would never deny and the ICC can record it: those who destroy my country, I will kill you. And those who destroy the young people of our country, I will kill you. Talagang yayariin kita because I love my country,” Duterte said in defense of his drug campaign.
The Chief Executive also insinuated that he may have resorted to shortcuts in dealing with the drug problem, but as a lawyer, he seemed careful in implicating himself on heinous crimes.
“You can do it the legal way but it would take you months and years,” he said.
Biggest enemy
Duterte lamented how corruption has also become endemic in government, in particular some personnel at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
“You cannot stop corruption. Nobody can stop corruption unless you overturn the government completely,” he said, adding that even former police generals – nine of them –were reportedly complicit in the illegal drug trade in the country.
“And because they are – they are policemen, the charges simply just, you know, disappear there. Because the prosecution, the investigation which form part of the vital documents in court, wala eh. Nobody was investigating because they are also policemen,” he said.
Reviewing the drug-related cases, he noted that personalities who can afford to defend themselves in court have been released from prison despite the gravity of their offenses.
In response to the President’s remarks, the BOC said guarding against importation of illegal drugs at the ports is a joint effort with other agencies such as Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine Coast Guard.
The agency also said they have upgraded the quality of their x-ray machines to better check the contents of container vans.
While his administration made great strides in ending rebellion and insurgency in various parts of the country, Duterte said the country still has “a long way in our fight against the proliferation of drugs.”
Duterte said the tasks remain enormous even if government troops have launched an unyielding drug campaign, which led to the surrender of millions of drug dependents, and neutralization, capture and prosecution of thousands of drug personalities; the dismantling of illegal drugs and syndicates and drug laboratories; extensive drug-clearing of communities down to the barangay-level, and the junking of narcopolitics.