MANILA, Philippines – The police can kill the son of the country’s highest leader if they catch him engaged in illegal drugs.
President Rodrigo Duterte said this on Wednesday referring to Davao City Vice Paolo “Pulong” Duterte — a statement he has been saying since he was a local leader amid persistent allegations that his eldest child is allegedly linked to illegal activities.
The chief executive added that the police should not worry because he would protect them even if they kill the vice mayor, who was recently linked to the Chinese drug triad and the Davao Group that allegedly facilitates the release of cargoes at the Bureau of Customs in exchange for regular grease money or tara from importers.
“Sinabing order ko nga noon, ‘pag may mga anak ako na nasa droga, patayin ninyo para walang masabi ang tao,” the chief executive said during the awarding of government workers in Malacañang on September 20.
[As I’ve said in my order before, if I have children who are involved in drugs, kill them so that people won’t criticize us.]
“Kaya sabi ko d’yan kay Pulong, ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught hand…And I will protect the police who will kill you, kung totoo ‘yan,” the President said.
[That’s why I told Pulong, ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught (red)-hand(ed)…And I will protect the police who will kill you, if it’s true.]
“They better (do so), so that may masabi ako sa tao, ‘Ayan, daldal kayo nang daldal o ayan, patay na ang katawan ng anak ko,” he added.
[They better do so, so that I can tell people, ‘You keep on talking, there, my son is already dead.]
In April 2016, before he won the presidency, Duterte also said that he would order the killing of his children if it would be proven that they were involved in illegal drugs.
“None (of my children are into illegal drugs). But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, ‘kill him’,” he said.
In October 2012, the President, then a vice mayor of Davao, said anybody could kill Paolo if his son was involved in crime. He issued the statement after Paolo’s alleged hand in a carnapping incident.
Duterte was quoted in a news report in 2012 as saying that no less than then President Benigno Aquino III, through then Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas, had called his attention about reports linking Paolo to a big time carnapping syndicate.
At that time, Paolo was the village chairman of Barangay Catalunan Grande and a member of the Davao City Council .
“You can kill Paolo if he is involved in carnapping or other crimes,” said Duterte.
But he said he confronted Paolo about it and believed his son, who denied allegations that he was connected to a carnapping syndicate.
WATCH NEWS5’S VIDEO REPORT: