Friday, June 01, 2007 Duterte warns anew politicians hiring fugitives
POLITICIANS using characters wanted for crimes as security aides are deemed accessories to the crime and will be arrested by the authorities, said Davao City Mayor and Regional Peace and Order Council chair Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte issued the statement during the joint meeting of the City and Regional Peace and Order Council, the Anti-Drug Abuse Council, and the People's Law Enforcement Board Wednesday afternoon.
Though he did not name names, the mayor cited the case of Allan Estrada, a former police officer now wanted by the law for several crimes.
Estrada was reported to have been hired as security escort of Davao del Sur Representative Claude Bautista.
Duterte warned anew all politicians to refrain from using fugitives as their bodyguards or face immediate arrest for coddling and protecting criminals.
He admitted that many politicians have the propensity to hire goons thinking that they are more secured if their bodyguards are hardened criminals.
Duterte said many retired police and military officials also find it "convenient" to be working as security officers of politicians.
Though not naming names still, the city mayor was obviously referring to retired Colonel Jorge Aquisap who was the chief security officer of Governor Benjamin Bautista before he went into hiding for allegedly masterminding the murder of one alias Tisoy, bodyguard of Representative Douglas Ra Cagas.
Duterte said with the elections fought bitterly and violently due to poverty, the presence of these fugitives and retired police and military officials at the beck and call of politicians make the elections more prone to violence.
He said the only way to stop this kind of violence is to arrest politician-coddlers and throw them in jail.
"This should be a lesson to everybody," Duterte said. (BOT)
