“My mandate as President of the Republic is to protect my country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies and no excuses. I did what I had to do. Whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” Duterte said in his opening statement at a public hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee (Subcommittee on the Philippine War on Illegal Drugs) on Monday.
The former president underscored that his war on drugs is about the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, party drugs, and the like, as the menace ruins people, families, communities, and relationships.
“But make no mistake about it. I hate illegal drugs and I loathe the purveyors, the merchants, and the pushers of this demonizing element,” he said.
Duterte said he has not failed to emphasize this from the very first day of the campaign when he ran for the presidency in 2016.
“This was my covenant with the Filipinos who believed in me then. And to this day, most still agree with what we in government have achieved,” Duterte said.
The former president also stressed that drug-related crimes are on the rise again, that the purveyors are back in business and cited the recent raid of a drug den that took place within the Malacañang complex.
“It is unfortunate that drug-related crimes are on the rise again. Every day, you can read about children being raped, people getting killed and robbed and just recently a drug den was raided within the Malacañang complex. This manifests that the purveyors of this menace are back in business. The Filipinos are anxious and distressed,” he said.
Duterte added that it is the duty of the police to overcome the resistance if criminals do not want to surrender.
“At kung may baril at kung sa tingin mo, sabi ko sa mga police doon sa (police) academy, kung sa tingin mo mamamatay ka, barilin mo sa ulo, patayin mo, at least one less criminal in the community. Iyon ang utos ko when I was fiscal and a professor doon sa police academy. No quarters given, no quarters asked. Criminal ito,” he said.
The former president reiterated his warning as a former president and as a private citizen that illegal drugs will destroy the Filipinos and the country.
“And I will never allow it. I would do what is necessary to protect my country and my community at yung mga anak natin. This is a matter of principle, at pakakamatayan ko yan,” Duterte said.
