PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte maintained Thursday that he does not tolerate the supposed “torture” of suspected drug personalities.
Duterte said he does and will not allow authorities conducting legitimate operations against personalities involved in the narcotics to resort to violent killings of individuals.
“The succeeding firefights, I must admit, were between the police and the criminals. But it – the killing – was never the thing of the government at the outset,” the President told the businessmen in Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City.
“[They said] that’s a form of torture. We do not do it. I will not also allow it. Torture is very odious to me,” he added.
Data from the Philippine National Police showed that more than 3,000 individuals allegedly involved in illicit drugs sale were killed either by police or vigilantes.
As the death toll continues to rise, Duterte said the police would not waste their time to execute drug suspects by either wrapping the bodies in plastics.
“Why will the police do that? Why will they waste their time? They’re just simply shooting with the head once, then that’s it,” he said.
The President then reiterated that he would not hesitate to kill all drug dependents, as he would not let them ruin the country.
“There will be killings. They chose to fight it out. There is a very simple instruction to the police and military: Go out and hunt for them, arrest them… If he does something over, which you think will you as a peace officer, then kill the idiot (sic),” Duterte said.
“I said I will kill you if you do drugs in this country. I will do it and I don’t give a shit. I will do it if you destroy the next generation or compromise their future. I will do it. Period,” he added.
On Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that Malacañang had already sent a formal invitation to UN special rapporteur on summary executions Agnes Callamard, giving her the greenlight to probe the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.
Duterte said his critics should also allow him to cross-examine them once they go to the country.
Apart from the UN, the President had also invited the United States (US) President Barack Obama and other US officials, and the European Union (EU) to go to the Philippines and see for themselves the government's ways to address the drug menace but no formal invitation were sent.
"President Obama, the [US] Secretary of State, the United Nations, the Human Rights Commission, and the EU, come here, investigate me. But give me also the right to be heard. So I will have to ask you questions after questioning," Duterte said.
"I will play with you. I am very sure, very sure they cannot be brighter than me. Believe me, I will play with you," he added. (Sunnex)