MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte called out Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for her “dangerous” order to judges not to surrender to law enforcers unless they are shown a warrant of arrest.

“Madam Justice, you are again wrong when you say, ‘Do not allow yourself to be arrested if there is no warrant.’ Dagdagan mo ang patay niyan (You will add to the deaths),” said Duterte on Friday, August 26, during the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Mindanao Command in Davao City. 

Duterte said such a statement might embolden drug suspects to use deadly force against the police or military.

“Kung sabihin mo sa tao na walang warrant, may baril ako, may droga ako dito (If you tell a person without a warrant that, he has a gun, he has drugs) – hearing your words, ‘Do not allow yourself to be arrested without a warrant’ is a very dangerous statement. You will promote anarchy, the things that you really fear,” said Duterte.

The President, once a criminal law lecturer and prosecute, sought to school the Chief Justice on the laws governing warrants.

“There are ways of doing it, ways you can arrest a person without a warrant….When the guy is committing a crime in your presence…or a crime is about to be committed,” said Duterte.

Sereno’s fear of anarchy under a Duterte administration is also unfounded, he asserted.

“Sabi mo (You said) you are afraid this country is sliding into anarchy. At no other time are the streets of Manila almost freed of criminals. Maglakad ka (Walk around), Ma’am, and find out,” he said.

He also gave assurances that the military or police would never support him if he abuses his powers as president. 

“Ano sa tingin mo (What do you think), would the military and police agree that I would do something to create anarchy tapos (then) they remain loyal to me? Ako papatayin nila (They will kill me), Ma’am,” he said. 

Duterte had previously threatened to declare martial law if his anti-drugs campaign is hindered but during his Friday speech, he said it’s something he would “never do.”

In front of soldiers of the Eastern Mindanao Command, he reiterated his orders for them to “destroy the drug apparatus.”

Addressing critics of his administration’s “war on drugs,” he said, “You cannot wage war without killing.”

The Chief Justice had previously written Duterte a letter expressing her concern for his “premature” announcement of judges supposedly linked to illegal drugs. She had said she has ordered the judges not to surrender to law enforcers without an arrest warrant.

Duterte had taken issue with the letter, seeing it as an effort to hinder his campaign against the drug trade. He later apologized to Sereno for his “harsh words.” – Rappler.com