鈥淒o not castrate the government,鈥� Duterte, known for his tough stance against crime, said Sunday of the criticism of Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Chairperson Loretta Rosales.
鈥淭hat will make us impotent to fight crime. Do not do that to my city,鈥� he addressed Rosales on the television program, 鈥淕ikan sa Masa, para sa Masa鈥� (From the Masses, for the Masses).
The vice mayor asked the CHR chief to show him the law he violated in ordering the 鈥渃apture of a known fugitive.鈥�
鈥淚 can debate with you to eternity, but give me the law that prevents the police from going after fugitives,鈥� Duterte said.
He said the reward on the head of Yu, who had been linked to a series of car thefts in Mindanao, was legal because Yu was a fugitive.
鈥淲hat makes it (the order) illegal?鈥� Duterte asked. 鈥淭he reward (on Baktin鈥檚 head), dead or alive, that鈥檚 legal,鈥� he said.
From piglet to rat
Addressing Yu, Duterte said: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e now a hunted rat. The reward money only serves as an incentive to smoke you out of the hole where you are hiding.鈥�
But he clarified that the reward meant police expected Baktin, who is 鈥渁rmed and dangerous,鈥� to put up a fight.
鈥淚 told them to be careful because Baktin is armed and dangerous. He is armed with an MP5 machine pistol, a Super .38 cal. and a 9 mm (pistols). He will likely fight it out. Mosukol ni (He will resist). I did not tell them, 鈥榢ill him,鈥� when they see him in the toilet,鈥� Duterte said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 already understood, I cannot be forever lecturing about it because the police (officers), who studied criminal law, already know that it is murder to kill a person who peacefully surrenders and does not resist arrest,鈥� Duterte said.
Additional P1 million
He said the difference in the reward money for getting Yu dead and capturing him alive took into consideration the risks to the would-be captor.
Duterte said he added P1 million to the reward for those who could hand over Baktin鈥檚 head to him because carrying the 鈥渃orpse of a man with a price on his head鈥� implied danger to the one carrying it.
鈥淭here is a disparity in the reward because if he surrenders peacefully, that does not involve danger. But once he is arrested and he resists and gets killed, that involves danger to the lives of the arresting officers. That鈥檚 why the reward is doubled,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 decided to add P1 million more because once he is dead, you cannot bring the body without putting yourself in jeopardy; you鈥檙e carrying P5-million worth of baggage in your hands.鈥�
Duterte said he felt insulted that Yu dragged the name of his son and promised to do all he could to 鈥渕ake the world smaller鈥� for the fugitive.
Originally posted: 4:21 pm | Sunday, October 28th, 2012