President Rodrigo Duterte during his speech during the 25th founding anniversary of the Center for Brighter Beginnings, Inc. (CBB) at the Davao Convention and Trade Center in Davao City on October 27, 2017. (RENE LUMAWAG/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has a word for his critics after US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency because of the drug problem.
“I said so before,” Duterte said during his speech at the 25th founding anniversary of the Center for Brighter Beginnings Inc at the Davao Convention and Trade Center Friday night, October 27.
“Before I left, I was viewing CNN. Trump has declared a national emergency because of drugs. Sinabi ko na eh. Sinabi ko, “Kayo, paimbestiga-imbestiga sila Obama noon. One day, to your sorrow.” O kita mo ngayon. They just declared. I just listened (I said so before. I said ‘You, with Obama who wants to conduct investigations before… One day to your sorrow.’ Now you see it, they just declared, I just listened),’ he said before the school community where his daughter Veronica was an alumna.
The US president on Thursday declared opioid abuse as a national public health emergency.
A report of the ABC News on Friday, October 27 quoted Trump as saying: “It is time to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction.”
“We can be the generation that ends the opioid epidemic,” he said.
National issue
Duterte said drug problem is really a national issue which affects health, and law and order.
“Illegal substance affects the health and affects the peace. Huwag mong kalimutan ‘yan (Do not forget that),” he told his audience of mostly parents and children.
Duterte also showed a document called “precursors and chemicals frequently used in the illicit manufacture of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances” from the International Narcotic Control Board to the audience where he discussed some of the illegal drug substances and its effects.
He said he will give a copy of the document to every school.
Taking out criminals
The tough-talking President from southern Philippines was vocal about the death of suspected drug personalities whom he described as “zombies” or “citizens no longer in their right minds.”
He admitted his ways are nonconformist and unconventional, but he denied ordering the police to kill drug suspects.
However, he said those who caused problems for the government will be “taken out.”
“I’m just saying that if you create a problem for us, I will take you out. I will take you out. Bahala na kung anong sabihin ng t**** i**** human rights na yan (I don’t care what the son of a b*tch human rights groups will say),” he said.
Former US President Barrack Obama earned the ire of the Philippine president when he criticized the anti-drug war that killed thousands.
In a speech last year, Obama said the rule of law and respect for human rights should prevail. Obama also admitted that drugs are a serious problem in the US and around the world.
However, Obama made it clear that the campaign against illegal drugs or terrorism “as despicable as these networks may be, as much as damage as they do,” should be done “the right way.” (davaotoday.com)
