Duterte: Spray-paint should push through

IF HE has his way, Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte wants the spray-painting of houses of suspected drug pushers in the city to push through.

At the same time, Duterte also welcomed the move of Barangay 23-C chief Amilbangsa Manding to mark his own house with an "X" signifying that a drug pusher lives there.

"I'm just expressing my view, personal view. Ug ako ang CD (city director) pinturahan ko gyud na (If I were the CD (city director) I'll have the houses painted)," Duterte told reporters at the Waterfront Hotel Davao Wednesday night.

"Ug mupintura na lang ka'g balay, pinturahi na tanan aron muguapo. Butangi lang ug X. Mao na gipinturahan, gipa guapo kay libre na, na pay X (If you paint a house, paint it all the way to make it beautiful. Just put an ‘X’. It was painted because you want to make it beautiful and it's for free, including the ‘X’ mark)," Duterte jokingly said.

Personnel of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) led by its director, Senior Superintendent Ronald dela Rosa, and Manding resumed their proactive illegal drug eradication operation in barangays 23-C and 26-C Poblacion Wednesday morning.

But, instead of marking or painting houses of suspected drug pushers with red paints, authorities only identified suspected pushers based on the list submitted by Manding himself.

The planned spray-painting didn't push through as scheduled after the DCPO was advised by the Police Regional Office (PRO) it may not sit well with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).

However, Manding insisted to Dela Rosa to mark his own residence in 26-C Poblacion which he transformed into a boarding house.

Although the move didn't elicit praises from Duterte, the vice mayor said Manding has set himself as an example to his constituents by marking his residence with "X".

Duterte said Manding might be in favor with the campaign of the DCPO against illegal drug peddlers in the city.

"He has no qualms about painting an ‘X’ on his house," Duterte told reporters.

The vice mayor earlier chided Manding for his failure to stop the illegal drugs trade in his area.

As to Dela Rosa, Duterte admitted he cannot order him to go on with the spray-painting as the DCPO chief is directly under Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Caprio.