PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday tagged human rights advocates as “enemies” out to demonize the police as he mocked Commission on Human Rights chief Jose Luis Martin “Chito” Gascon, raising the possibility the latter was a ''pedophile'' for being so passionate over the killings of male teenagers.
Once again training his guns at his critics, including the Commission on Human Rights and opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, Duterte said he never heard them condemn acts of criminals and just kept on harping calls that there was a state policy on drug-related deaths.
“Human rights. They’re the enemies of the police. If a kid dies, they’ll just blame it on the police,” Duterte said in an interview Friday aired over state-run television PTV4, when asked about CHR’s House-approved P1,000 budget for 2018.
In a media interview in Davao City, Duterte accused Gascon, a former director-general for the opposition Liberal Party from 2008 to 2011, of being partisan in doing his functions as Commission on Human Rights chairman and told him to call for his ouster.
“Gascon, let me just tell the guy—he is really a spokesman for the Liberal [Party] and for the opposition who want me out of the presidency,” he said.
“I am inviting you to try ousting me. So we can both stand on what we are fighting for.”
Duterte then asked the human rights chief if he was a pedophile for being so “fixated” on young boys.
“This Gascon—I hope to meet you one of these days. Why is this guy so suffocated with the issue of the young people, especially boys? Are you a pedophile? You are fond of children?” Duterte said.
“You are so fixated with the death of young males, that’s why I’m having doubts that you b**** is a pedophile. Idiot. “
Meanwhile, 21 policemen in Metro Manila were killed and 47 others were wounded since the government crackdown on drug dealing and its use began in July 2016.
This was revealed by Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde following the results of a survey by the Social Weather Stations indicating that the number of victims of crime in the National Capital Region have been reduced but fear remained in unsafe streets and burglaries.
“Peace is everybody’s concern. Winning the war against illegal drugs will benefit everyone. So, instead of fearing, I encourage the public to fight and [be] brave with us in fighting crime. We in the NCR commit to strengthen our anti-criminality campaign and war against illegal drugs in order to continuously bring down the fear of the public in unsafe streets and burglaries,” he said.
Albayalde acknowledged the survey result and dedicated it to the performing police officers in the field who relentlessly combat lawless elements and individuals engaged in drug use and trafficking.
“Since the war on illegal drugs was implemented on July 1, 2016 to the present, 21 policemen assigned in different districts of the National Capital Region Police Office were killed and 47 others were wounded while engaging with drug personalities during police operations,” he said.
Just recently, Police Officer 3 Junior Hilario died during the encounter with suspected drug pushers in Camarin, Caloocan City.
Hilario, of Police Community Precinct 3, succumbed to a bullet wound in the head while undergoing treatment at Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Hospital in Tala.
Hilario and his colleagues were about to arrest JaysondDela Cruz, alias Jayson Killer, and his partner Mart Ian Herrera on the night of Sept. 7 when the suspects engaged in a gun battle with the policemen.
“Many more are ready to lay down their lives when duty calls,” Albayalde said.
He added “we are here to serve and protect, to maintain peace and order, to defend the innocent people against lawless elements and other oppressors, to bring down the menace of illegal drugs.
“Although we recognize that there are few police scalawags in our ranks who dragged us down, we are doing appropriate actions on it.”
Albayalde said the NCRPO strengthened its Internal Cleansing Program, Reward-Punishment Program and Disciplinary Training Program to get rid of erring policemen.
“We also strengthened our public engagement and encourage the public to report their complaints against abusive policemen and we assure that we will investigate immediately and act appropriately on the matter,” he said.
The result of SWS survey, according to Albayalde, indicated the government was winning the war against drugs.
Since the crackdown started, more than 83,000 individuals, including 119 elected officials, 23 uniformed personnel, and 138 government employees, were arrested nationwide.
The CHR had been calling for justice for the deaths of teenagers Kian Loyd delos Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, both killed by Caloocan City policemen.
While Duterte acknowledged that the CHR was created “to investigate abuses and wrongdoings of government,” he nevertheless accused them of failing to give a second thought to the deaths inflicted by druggies.
“You’re harping the line of the political enemy. That’s the problem. Forgetting all other crimes committed in the name of drugs. The victims here are the children. 10, 20 cases every day,” Duterte said.
“Why can’t you move on to other issues that are besetting this country?” Duterte said.
Instead of giving the CHR its allotment for next year, Duterte said the House of Representatives could give them away to his cops to buy “state of the art” body cameras that could be used during law enforcement operations.
Duterte maintained his bloody drug war would continue to crush the illegal shabu trade, which he described as an ‘organized crime.’
“I will not be remembered as the President that let the Philippines go to the dogs, into drugs,” Duterte said.
“I cannot back down on it. No way,” he added.