President Rodrigo Duterte cites Talisay City as a place where illegal drug activities continue during his speech at the Sinulog Grand Showdown at the Cebu City Sports Center on January 19, 2020. | Raul Constantine Tabanao
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The problem on illegal drugs in Cebu has gone as far as police officials being involved in the narcotics trade.
This was the revelation of President Rodrigo Duterte as he delivered a speech before thousands of Cebuanos at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) grandstand during the Sinulog Grand Showdown on Sunday, January 19, 2020.
Despite delivering only a 20-minute short speech to allow the festival flow to continue, the President did not miss to blame illegal drugs to the recent killings of police offiicials in Cebu.
The President particularly singled out Talisay City, whom he described as being “wa’y pahuway” or restless in term of illegal activities including drugs.
“Kani bang druga, kusog diri sa Cebu. Kanang Talisay (City) wa na nay pahuway. Naa ang tanan dihang kabuang. Hasta ang inyong mga deputy director naa sa druga. Mao tong naay daghan gipangpataty diri nga chief of police,” Duterte said.
(Drugs is in demand here in Cebu. Talisay City is very restless. All sorts of wrongdoings are there. Even your deputy directors are in the drug trade. That is why there are chiefs of police killed here,” Duterte said.
Read more: Duterte tackles Cebu traffic, drugs during Sinulog speech at CCSC
“Giingnan tamo, ayaw. Ayaw, kay madisgrasya gyud mo. Drugs will destroy my country. Do not destroy my country because if you do, I will really kill. Patyon ta gyud ka. Director ka sa unsa diha, disgrasya ka gyud,” the President said.
(I warned you no. Don’t do that because something bad would happen to you. Drugs will destroy my country. Do not destroy my country because if you do, I will really kill you. I will kill you even if you are a director or whoever you are, something bad will happen to you.)
President Duterte said his standards for his men, may they be in the military or police service, would only revolve on honesty.
“Wala na koy pangayoon. Dili ta magkasinabot diha sa tinarong, away ta,” he said.
(I will not ask for anything else. If we cannot agree on the good thing, then let’s fight.)/dbs