TALK TO THE PEOPLE. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members prior to his talk to the people at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Feb. 24, 2021. Duterte said he is eyeing the creation of a team dedicated to monitor government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, who have been dismissed from service. (Presidential photo by Ace Morandante)
MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing the creation of a team dedicated to monitor government officials, particularly law enforcement officers, who have been dismissed from service.
In a televised public address on Wednesday night, Duterte said he would ask the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to keep an eye on axed officials as he is sure that they would continue engaging in “nefarious activities.”
“I’ll be asking the PDEA to come up with a list of itong lahat ng mga tao in government, lalo na yung law enforcement, na kung sino yung napatanggal kasi may suspetsa ako, hindi lang suspetsa, sigurado ako na gagawa ito ng milagro to continue with these nefarious activity (I’ll be asking PDEA to come up with a list of all people in government, especially law enforcement, who have been removed because I have a hunch, no, I’m sure that they will continue to engage in nefarious activity),” he said.
He directed the PDEA to form a team dedicated to keeping track of dismissed law enforcement officers.
“So bantayan ito sila (So keep an eye on them). There must be a team dedicated to watch only these guys who were dismissed from the service,” he added.
Duterte lamented about how there were many law enforcement officers who could easily be bribed.
“If you are bribing or you are in the take that you can be bribed, you should not be there in the service at all,” he said.
He said police officers who were involved in crimes such as corruption belong to the streets.
“Those policemen, PNP na ang mga kasalanan itong (those who sinned) related sa drugs, pati itong pera (even money), malversation, there’s only one penalty there—they should not be in government. They should be out in the streets,” he said.
He warned incumbent police officers against committing crimes, saying he would not just suspend, but fire them.
“Alam ko wala itong mga trabaho (I know they don’t have work) but these guys are really, lalo na yung tumanggap ng pera na sanay sa korupsyon, alam na nila ang laro. Gagawa ito mga paraan para mabuhay (especially those who accept money from corruption, they know how to play the game. They’ll find a way to live). And the easiest way to earn money is to practice the trade of bribery…at alam na kung paano kung sino lapitan (and they know who to approach)…Basta yung droga tsaka bribery, kalimutan niyo na yung suspension. Hindi ako maniwala diyan, paalisin kita (As long as it involves drugs and bribery, forget about suspension. I don’t believe in that, I’ll fire you),” he said.
Duterte added that he could easily determine if there were law enforcement officers who detained or killed innocent victims and pass them off as drug dealers.
“Huwag mo sabihin magpakulong kayo ng inosenteng tao. Magsabi ka lang, drug lord tapos patayin mo? Malaman ko ng malaman (Don’t tell me you detain innocent people. You just say he’s a drug lord then kill him? I’ll find out),” he said.
He added that he has eyes watching their every transaction since he didn’t completely trust them.
“Miski anong sikreto ng transaction mo, alam ko. Hindi mo matago ‘yan (Whatever transaction that is, I know. You can’t hindi it). You think that ikaw (you’re) intelligence officer? Kayong mga intelligence officer binabantayan rin kayo kasi duda man ako baka mabili ka. Kung di ka mabili mabuti (You’re being monitored because I have suspicions you’re bribed. If you’re not bribed that’s good),” he added.
Meanwhile, Duterte renewed his promise to fight corruption until the end of his term but admitted that it is impossible to have an “entirely clean” government.
“As I have promised the nation, I said I would dedicate the last remaining months of my stay in the Office of the President going after corrupt people so that by the time na ano ma-menos menos na (I step down, it would have decreased). Do not expect me to entirely clean as a pristine clean bureaucracy. That is impossible and cannot really be achievable,” he said.
He then proceeded to read a list of PDEA personnel who have been dismissed from service. (PNA)
