DAVAO CITY—President-elect Rodrigo Duterte increased the bounty on drug lords from P3 million to P5 million as narcotics rings supposedly offered a bounty of P50 million each for Duterte and his designated national police chief Ronald dela Rosa.
“Stop f***ing with me,” Duterte told narcotics syndicates in a 40-minute speech in Cebu City where he joined a thanksgiving party with his supporters.
“I have now to protect an entity called the Republic of the Philippines. I have to protect everybody and see to it that our children are protected for tomorrow’s journey,” he said.
Duterte then said he will raise the bounty for every slain drug lord to P5 million if the criminal is caught or killed in Cebu because, he said, “the people here in Cebu are good. So there is premium.”
Duterte also denied that he was promoting a “culture of death,” but emphasized that he would not hesitate to go after criminals who would not change their ways. “If they could not be talked into changing, let’s kill them then,” he said.
But convicted drug lords languishing at the National Bilibid Prisons supposedly raised a bounty of P50 million for both Duterte and Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa said he was informed that drug lords at the national penitentiary discussed the bounty in a meeting.
“What they did not know is that one of those present in the meeting has been squealing what they had discussed to me,” said Dela Rosa.
“As of yesterday, they increased the bounty to P50 million. P50 million for Mayor Duterte, P50 million for me. They increased it because they couldn’t find takers at P10 million, so they increased it to P50 million.”
“Bring it on, really,” the incoming PNP chief. “Bring it on anytime anytime of the day, any place.”
Meanwhile, Malacañang declined to comment on Duterte’s claim that there are 35 mayors and governors who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, as claimed by incoming Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez.
Suarez declined to identify the 35 local leaders mentioned by Duterte, but hinted that they are mayors and governors.
The 71-year-old Davao mayor previously called on three drug-tainted PNP generals to step down from their posts before the Duterte administration formally takes office on June 30.