He said groups like Tambayan are “pampering” these delinquents. Minors, he said, should be taught accountability and a sense of responsibility to society. “We should tell them straight that if you kill, if you rape someone, you are going to face consequences,” he said.
The mayor warned NGOs from interfering with his work. “You continue to interfere with my work. I might end up hitting you,” he said. “Do not interfere with the work of the police, or else I will also beat you up as well,” he said.
Doysabas said they were unfazed by the mayor’s threat. “We’re used to hearing him say those things,” she said.
Duterte has the support of some members of the City Council. Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang, the chairman of the Peace and Public Safety Committee, enjoined Davaoeos to rally behind the mayor. “I urge everybody, the citizenry, to support and rally behind the mayor’s campaign against gangsterism. We must participate in his advocacy,” Dayanghirang said a privilege speech last week.
Dayanghirang also urged parents to do their part, asking them to be responsible. “They must provide their children the love that they deserve. Otherwise, the parents do not have business (getting) the sympathy of the public if their children are killed in violence if they themselves are negligent of their children’s needs,” he said.
Dayanghirang told child NGOs to back off. “The NGOs, instead of criticizing and opposing the government’s way of eliminating gangsterism, should back off and understand how the government operates,” he said. “They should not use the ongoing gang war problem as an opportunity to criticize and oppose the government but instead to look at this campaign to fight against gangsterism in a very objective manner.”
Another councilor, April Dayap, who is the Sangguniang Kabataan representative to the council, said she supports the mayor as long as the approach is “good.” She said the mayor means well. When told about the shotguns, Dayap said she had not heard of it. Maybe, she told davaotoday.com, Duterte “was just being figurative.”
Doysabas, responding to the criticism of NGOs, said child advocates should not be disheartened by the mayor and his allies. “We consider this a challenge to NGOs and to other people to uphold the children’s rights,” she said. “If we are afraid, who will protect the children?” (Cheryll D. Fiel, with a report from Tyrone Velez/davaotoday.com)
Extrajudicial Killings
