CEBU CITY — President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Tuesday night assured there will be no partisan politics in next year’s midterm elections.
The President made this assurance during the 2018 Visayas Island Cluster Conference of the League of Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP), where he was the guest of honor, at Radisson Blu Hotel here.
“I will guarantee it all throughout the Philippines. The voting will be done fairly, cleanly, and honestly. Walang partido-partido,” Duterte told more than the 250 mayors in attendance.
“Your vote will be counted and it will be counted correctly. That I can assure you,” the President added.
Duterte likewise warned the mayors from all over the Visayas not to create private armies during the election period as he will surely go after them.
“You start to have a private army, one morning you will see me in front of you. Kalaban mo diyan ang AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). I promise you this. During the elections, there will be no private armies. All will be disarmed,” he said.
However, he assured that he will campaign for local chief executives who have been outstanding in implementing their peace and order programs during the 2019 polls.
The President said that’s all he can do for the “outstanding” mayors as he has no money to give them for their campaign coffers.
Duterte also urged the Visayas mayors to improve their performance as local chief executives and avoid corruption.
“You have to improve your performance as mayor. You are representing me as president of your own republic. So, you have to enforce the law against all,” the President told his audience.
He also assured the mayors of his support if they ever face complaints in the implementation of their anti-drug campaigns.
“If you do your duty and you will have a case against you just like the police, I will support and defend you,” promised Duterte to the applause of the mayors.
Meanwhile, the President made a strong pronouncement against policemen in Cebu, accusing them as “addicts”.
“Your policemen here in Cebu are all addicts. Almost everybody. Even your officials. Even your PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency),” Duterte said in Bisaya.
Although he did not mention the name, the President also referred to a PDEA-Central Visayas official, who was recently ambushed in Cebu City.
The said PDEA officer was suspected of being an illegal drug distributor as Scene of the Crime Operations investigators found two medium-sized packs of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu” inside the glove compartment of his car after the ambush.
“He was promoted to a higher rank, but also became a distributor. You can enjoy a life of luxury. Buy the things that you never had when you were young. Buy the things that you crave for because you could not afford it. Enjoy it but it will come back at you. I assure you,” Duterte said.
For a law enforcer to engage in illegal drugs trade is tantamount to treason, the President said.
“That’s treason. If you are a PDEA, or with the military and the police, but engage in illegal drugs, that’s treason. It’s the highest form of infidelity,” Duterte said.
The President then asked the mayors to avoid being involved in the drug trade, otherwise they will meet the same fate as the PDEA agent.
“So, let’s have a deal. Do not do it. Do not do it during my time. Or mamatay kayo (Or else you will die),” Duterte told the mayors.
Controversial retired police general and now Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot, who was again attacked by the President in his speech, did not attend the LMP conference. (Luel Galarpe/PNA)
