(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte stressed he did not and would not interfere in the ongoing investigation of the National Bureau of Investigation on the Leyte police officials who were involved in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa.
Even as he initially expressed support for policemen who were involved in the alleged “rubout” of Mayor Espinosa, he told the NBI to go on and file cases against the policemen if they have evidence against them.
He said that he would hear out the NBI’s story. But he said he would have to provide support for the police especially if they have followed his order, to defend themselves if a suspect resisted and fought endangering the lives of the policemen.
During his speech at the recent turnover ceremony of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the President again hit the drug problem which he said is destroying the lives of the next generation of Filipinos. He again repeated his instructions to policemen and to soldiers helping wipe out the drug menace.
He said it would be fine “if you kill the person because your life is in jeopardy.”
“(If) you yourself will lose your life, my God shoot him,” the President said.
Duterte again dismissed claims by human rights groups that the government was behind the extrajudicial killings, especially in the early part of his administration, when there were many found dead, with placards saying the person was a drug pusher.
“Why would we do extrajudicial killings? Wrap the idiot with plastic, what for? We can shoot him in the head, and that’s it. This is an indication of torture. Hindi na natin kailangan yan,” he said of the issue.
-NBI dared to come out with solid proof vs cops-
“Now kung may mga pulis dito na masabit. They got mixed up with a messy job. And I would say I would believe in the story of the police,” the President said.
“Now here comes the NBI. Both the police and the NBI are under me. But I never interfered. And they say it’s murder. Fine! That is your findings,” Duterte said in his speech apparently referring to the policemen involved in the killing of Albuera mayor Espinosa on the pretext of serving a search warrant.
“But since the police is doing his duty following my order here, a direct order, I will have to defend them,” he said.
The President said he would listen to both the story of the policemen and the NBI, and if there is no witness against the policemen, then he would have no reason not to believe the police’s story.
“Why should I, if it’s just an investigation and wala naman kayong witness dyan na nagsabi na nakita nya?” he said.
“Come up with something good, and maybe I will have it out,” he said of the NBI investigation.
“Pero as long as ganun ang pulis, and they would stick to the story, and because they are under me, I should believe them,” he said.
The President explained his thinking of why he would prefer to believe in the police if there is no evidence presented against them, rather than the story of a drug suspect.
“Why? Let me ask u Filipino people, (There are) four million addicts , and you are sorry for the __ who made our children crazy by the millions. So I and I alone will answer for them if it is in the performance of duty that is my ultimate liability,” he said.
-Ready to go to jail-
The President said that he is even ready to go to jail for policemen provided that they are truthfully following his order, which is to shoot if their lives were really in danger.
“I will defend them. As a matter of fact, I will go to jail for them,” he said.
But he would never ever interfere in the investigation and the filing of cases, he stressed.
-Duterte clarifies instructions to cops –
In his earlier speech in Mandaluyong on Wednesday, December 7, the President clarified his general orders to all policemen, which was to shoot only if the suspects in question resist and fight back putting the lives of the policemen in real danger.
“Ang utos ko sa pulis ganito: may trabaho kayo, hanapin ninyo. arestuhin niyo. Place him under your custody. Kung ayaw magpa-aresto, lumaban, mayrong armas, and you think your life is in danger. Shoot him,” he said.
“Ngayon, kung sino yung pulis na nasabit na ganun ang istorya, provided these conditions are met, I will be the one to answer for it and go to prison,” the President said, stressing his conditions on police engagement.
“Walang problema sa akin. Nung bata ako, labas masok ako sa presuhan,” he said.
While saying that he would not allow the policemen to go to jail, if they really followed his conditions and instructions on the rules of engagement, he again insisted he would never interfere in investigations on these policemen.
“But just to tell you I do not interfere,” he said especially if the investigation will later show that the policemen violated the rules and the law.
“Baka totoo talaga?,” he said of the findings on a rubout. “Tinalian ng mga g__ tapos..,” Duterte said.
Duterte recalls experience when he was still fiscal
He then recounted his experience, when he was still a prosecutor, when a policeman hinted he might have not been entirely following the police rules of engagement, and could just be putting lies in his affidavit.
“Fiscal ako noon, may experience ako sa pulis. Witness ko ang pulis,” he said.
He said that he questioned the policeman then on what happened.
“Anong ginawa mo?” he asked.
The policeman then turned to him and said, “Anong sabihin ko fiscal, yung totoo, o yung sa affidavit ko?”
“P___ i__g pulis ito, pati ako makukulong yawa ka,” Duterte said, as he cursed, drawing laughter from the audience.
