DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte warned former regional police director Eduardo Matillano, now with the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG), to stop his "illegal" activities or else he will be arrested.
In his weekly program Sunday, Duterte said Matillano has been doing rounds in the city, presenting himself as PASG head and collecting money from the importers, a number of whom have already cried foul.
"I will arrest you. You come here and do your illegal activities and I will arrest you," Duterte said. "There is no need for us to duel."
Matillano, according to a report published in a local daily (not Sun.Star), challenged Duterte to a duel to finally put an end to their conflict.
"The truth is, Duterte and I have a history of being foes. If it were not against the law, I would challenge Duterte to a duel to end this. Let him choose his weapons," Matillano was quoted as saying in the report.
In reaction, Duterte said in his television program: "If I will engage in a duel with you, I do not want it to be just you. I want it to be you and your principal. You are a mere agent... I want you and (House Speaker Prospero) Nograles, the two of you against me."
The city mayor also slammed Matillano's claim that he allegedly slapped former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief now Senator Panfilo Lacson III.
"Him slapping Lacson, I do not know anything about. But what I know was he slapped a staff of Holiday Spa when he was reprimanded about his ringing mobile phone while he was having a massage," Duterte said.
In last week's edition of “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa,” Duterte recalled that when Matillano was still the police regional director in Davao and was having a massage at Holiday spa, the spa staff reminded him to turn his phone to silent mode because it was ringing and disturbing the other clients. Instead of following the rules of the spa, Matillano slapped the woman.
In early February, several businessmen came out saying they have been subjected to a "visit" by PASG. Among those visited included Felcris Supermarket, Dimdi Appliance Store, and several shopping arcades and retail outlets in the city.
But these businessmen were one in saying they felt that it was more of a threat and harassment rather than the inspection of smuggled goods.
Another factor is that all the businesses "visited" by PASG were owned by allies or close friends of Duterte.
A PASG official quickly denied the allegations, saying they were just "monitoring" reports of alleged smuggling activities by these establishments.
"This is just a normal monitoring and conduct of regular inspection," PASG city director Colonel Dodong Obsiama told reporters after their visit at Felcris-Sales. "We do this to monitor, and nothing irregular has been found with the supermarket."
Obsiama cited the large coverage of the retail business establishments in the city, thus monitoring is being done at random.
It was learned that Matillano is planning to file libel and graft charges against Duterte for calling him an "extortionist" and for claiming that he is a fake director of the country's anti-smuggling group.
Matillano said Duterte's accusation against him is not the first time.