DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 06 May) — President Rodrigo Duterte advised his youngest son, Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to learn how to kill if he wants criminals to fear him as mayor of Davao City.
The younger Duterte is running for mayor while the President, who is ending his six-year term on June 30, 2022, expects that the problem of illegal drugs will be among those that his son will be confronted with as mayor.
“May problema ang Pilipinas og mobalik gyud ang droga. Ambot na lang kung unsaon kay ako mo-retire na gyud ko” (The Philippines has a problem and the drug problem will return. I don’t know how this will be dealt with when I retire), Duterte told supporters of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) Miting De Avance at the San Pedro Street on Friday evening.
Addressing his son, Duterte, who served a total of 22 years as mayor, said: “Og mag mayor ka Baste, og di ka kamao mopatay, pagsugod na, pagtuon na karon gabii kay ang mayor (nga) di mopatay og mahadlok mamatay may problema gyud mo (If you want to become mayor, Baste, and you don’t know how to kill, start learning tonight because a mayor who does not kill and who is afraid to be killed, you will really have a problem).
When he was mayor of this city, Duterte was known for his hardline stance against criminality and illegal drugs and was even linked to the Davao Death Squad (DDS), a vigilante group that conducted summary executions of individuals involved in illegal drugs.
Duterte told Sebastian, Duterte’s youngest son with his first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman, that the city and the country are facing a serious drug problem.
The Duterte family has ruled Davao City for more than three decades. Before he was elected president in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte served as OIC Vice Mayor from 1986 to 1987, mayor from 1988 to 1998, representative of the first district from 1998 to 2001, mayor from 2001 to 2010, vice mayor to his daughter-mayor from 2010 to 2013, and mayor from 2013 to 2016 with son Paolo as vice mayor.
When his six-year term ends on June 30, 2022, Duterte said he would come back to Davao where he would ride his motorcycle as he did before, to look for drug addicts around the city and shoot them.
“Karong di na ko Presidente, wala nay magbuot nako, mag motor ko magsuroy suroy ko, mangita ko og durugista, posilon nako, unya patyon nako (If I am no longer President, no one won’t mind me anymore, I will ride my motorcycle around the city to look for drug addicts. I will shoot them and I will kill them,” he said.
Duterte, a former prosecutor before he entered politics, said he saw how illegal drugs destroy families and how alleged drug personalities could get away with crimes then by paying the judges and police authorities to destroy the evidence.
“That’s why, when I became mayor, I was strict. I said I would create a city where the people can live comfortably. Do not destroy this city with drugs, especially our children. If you do, I will really kill you,” he said.
The President also addressed the Commission on Human Rights and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which authorized a full investigation into Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
“Wala man koy gisugo nga police nga patya na, niingon ko I will kill you. Ako ang mopatay nimo, wala ko mag sugo og laing tao. Prangkahan tamo ICC og human rights, wala pa koy gipatay, hapit na siguro moabot lang man na (I did not order the police to kill them, I said ‘I will kill you.’ I will kill you myself. I did not order anyone. I will tell you frankly ICC and human rights, I have not killed anybody yet, maybe soon. It will come),” he said.
Duterte said that he only ordered the police to fight back when their lives are under threat in the fulfillment of their duty.
In October last year, Sebastian Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy to seek reelection as Vice Mayor. He was the lone candidate for the second highest post. In mid-November, he withdrew his COC for Vice Mayor to substitute for the mayoralty post after his sister, Sara, decided to withdraw in favor of running for Vice President as a substitute for the candidate of the Lakas-CMD.
Sara spoke at the rally before President Duterte arrived. Sebastian’s eldest brother, Paolo, was not present during the miting de avance. Paolo is seeking reelection as 1st district representative. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
