Duterte on NPA, ‘killing criminals’

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

Almost half of Filipinos expect their lives to improve in the next 12 months, according to the Social Weather Stations (SWS), basing from its latest survey.

The survey, conducted from Nov. 26 to 28, found 46 percent expect their quality of life to get better against five percent who expect it to get worse, yielding a net score of +41.The survey, commissioned by Davao-based businessman William Lima, used face-to-face interviews with 1,200 registered voters nationwide.

Net personal optimism was highest in balance Luzon (+47), followed by the National Capital Region (+42), Mindanao (+36) and the Visayas (+32).

The latest net personal optimism was higher than the +33 recorded in the SWS Sept. 2-5 poll. In terms of economic class, net optimism was +40 among the ABC, +43 among class D and +31 among class E.

In terms of age groups, respondents 18-24 yielded a net +55, followed by 25-34 (+50); 35-44 (+40); 45-54 (+35) and 55 and above (+33).

The survey has sampling error margins of plus or minus three percentage points nationwide and plus or minus six percentage points each for Metro Manila, balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

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From this corner, maybe one reason Filipinos are optimistic their lives would improve the next 12 months is because there would be a change in administration and a new president. The last months of this administration is limping – hounded by allegations of corruption and impunity, that political pundits are saying the anointment of President Aquino for his successor would be a “kiss of death.”

They are saying former DILG chief Mar Roxas should break away from the “deadly tentacles” of the President if he would like to improve his ratings and chances to become President.

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The police and military have been asked to remain apolitical in next year’s elections and for good reason.

“While allowing the electoral process to run its course, our men in uniform must remain focused on their duties and mandate to the country,” according to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. He and Interior Secretary Senen Sarmiento are of the opinion that soldiers and policemen should maintain their professionalism to ensure that next year’s elections will be peaceful and orderly.

The defense and interior secretaries are conducting joint visits to frontline troops to boost their morale and underscore the importance of the police and military’s non-partisanship in any political activity, a statement issued by the public affairs office of the Department of National Defense stated.

Gazmin and Sarmiento’s joint visits have fueled speculation within police and military circles that they are checking the political leanings of the troops.

A number of military and police commanders are reportedly campaigning for certain presidential candidates.

A retired soldier from Mindanao reportedly said his former colleagues are trying to convince him to support Vice President Jejomar Binay.Another group of soldiers is campaigning for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the retired soldier added. 

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Unfazed by criticism from human rights advocates, Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte was quoted as saying peace and order problems can be solved by “killing five criminals” every week.

The tough-talking latecomer to the 2016 presidential race, said if he wins, he would ensure that every Filipino could walk in streets free of drugs, corruption and criminals, just like what he did in Davao City.

“I say let’s kill five criminals every week, so they will be eliminated,” Duterte said.

He vowed to revive the death penalty should he win, saying that people should not be afraid to kill criminals who prey on civilians and molest minors.

Duterte said the nation’s crime rate significantly increased after the government scrapped capital punishment.He believes the country needs firm resolve to punish wrongdoers such as those who peddle illegal drugs, which he considers as the prime factor that pushes people to commit crime.

More from Duterte: “Why should you fear killing criminals? We are not afraid when civilians are killed, children get raped and drugs flood the county and you are not worried about that? You are only worried about the criminals who kill and plunder, rape and kill?”

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a vice presidential candidate, said he believes Duterte would prove true to his word should he win in the 2016 polls.

Trillanes, who supports independent presidential bet Sen. Grace Poe, said the Filipino people should decide if they want a country like Somalia or Sudan where people could easily be killed, apparently referring to Duterte’s style of leadership.

Responding to Trillanes’ statement, Duterte said “The Filipino should better pray for that to happen under his administration if he wins in next year’s elections. He added that the country would not just be like Somalia, but also like Yemen.

“Just like Somalia? So be it,” he said. “As long as it’s Somalia without crime, graft and corruption, no drugs, and I would be happy to live in a Somalia scenery. I have no problem with it, you even want Yemen.” Duterte said the eradication of crime would be his priority when he is elected president.

“Prosecutor kasi ako. So when I became mayor, I used to prosecute the crimes in court. To fight crime became an obsession,” Duterte said. Duterte admitted that his tough stance against crime, particularly those linked with illegal drugs, has made him very popular in Davao City.

“I really hate crime. The only way to fight crime is to be a criminal. The reason people want me to run is because of what I did in Davao City. This much I can say. Crime has to go. Drugs must be stopped at all cost.”

Aside from getting rid of crime and drugs, Duterte also promised that he would eliminate corruption in government, the bureaucracy would be fixed and paramilitary units would be dissolved.

He would also push amendments to the Constitution that would allow for a change in the form of government to a federal system.“In the first year, I will go into a series of consensus for a federal form of government. Then in the year after, I will call for a constitutional convention. You cannot do it alone, it has to be with the consent of the Filipino people,” he said.

After learning that Jose Maria Sison, the self-exiled leader of the communist National Democratic Front, has expressed support for his candidacy, Duterte said he is willing to talk to the communist leader when he returns to the Philippines.

“And Sison, it’s good, he became my professor. The important thing is that he said ‘I would go home if Duterte makes it to the presidency.’ ”

Duterte said he is even willing to allow Sison and the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) to enter into a coalition with his party and get involved in some areas of governance.

“Organizing is the specialty of the communists. They are really good at it. What kind of coalition? I can concede to him (Sison) DAR (Department of Agrarian Reform), DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources), DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), what else? Planning? But they cannot have the military, police, finance and international relations. These are things reserved for the sovereign authority to exercise. Other proprietary (functions), they can have it,” he said.

Although he is willing to talk with Sison and the NDF, Duterte said although he is a socialist, he is not a communist.He cited the experience of Davao City at the height of the assassination spree of the communist New People’s Army.

“Davao was at the crossroads at that time. The NPA were on their way out because we were talking. And I said, look if you’re here, we will just fight. I am a socialist but I am not a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines. That is so far left. I do not go around killing my own countrymen.”

“Davao City used to lose four to five policemen a day. Soldiers even. So I told the communists, we cannot co-exist in this city,” he added.Duterte urged his supporters to consider other presidentiables.

He also pledged his support to his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano in the event he loses in the presidential derby.

“I told Alan, if I lose and you win, do not worry, I will kill the president for you,” he told his supporters.” Duterte, however, said that a six-year term is not enough for a president to resolve all the problems in the Philippines, especially on issues pertaining to informal settlers.

“You must elect a president for at least 12 years. Six years is nothing… We should choose a president and he can plan and he can borrow [money] without losing it to graft and spend it for the correct purpose,“ Duterte said in an interview on radio dzMM.

Duterte also admitted killing three kidnappers in Davao City in 1988.

He said that he shot the kidnappers who allegedly molested a girl whom they kidnapped in Davao City.Duterte said he used two magazines of a .45 caliber pistol in killing the kidnappers. He said he and three others shot the suspects.

Burt despite the tough talk of the Davao mayor, former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said Duterte is bound to uphold the rule of law if elected president.

Pimentel said his son Sen. Koko Pimentel and Duterte talked about extra-judicial killings of suspected criminals that have alarmed Amnesty International.

“Mayor Duterte was told that he is bound to uphold the rule of law,“ the elder Pimentel said.

Pimentel, a founding chairman of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN), said extrajudicial killings have no place in a civilized society.

This, as Presidential candidate Roy Señeres denied a report that two Supreme Court justices have tried to convince him to drop his bid to give way to Duterte, who is their fraternity brother in San Beda College’s Lex Talionis. It’s brinkmanship for Duterte nowadays and despite his tough talk, pundits are saying every word he says is calculated so he won’t get his foot in the mud.. Being a lawyer, he knows that. This, as other presidentiables are figuring what to do to up their ratings considering Duterte’s high ratings. That’s politics, Philippine style.