Duterte warns cocaine peddler: Your wife will be a widow

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – If you’re trying to peddle the two bricks of cocaine that are missing from the authorities in Davao, be warned: Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s shoot-to-kill order is still in place.

“Do not wait that this will be recovered in your hands. My order is shoot to kill,” Duterte said on Tuesday, April 22.

Authorties discovered on March 22, hidden behind the ceiling of a container van at the Sumifru container yard in Tibungco District, a carefully designed receptacle for 64 cocaine bricks.

Twenty-four cocaine bricks were recovered from the container yard, while 38 bricks were either surrendered or seized in buy bust operations. Each brick is about 1.1 kilogram and has an estimated value of P5 million (about $112,000) per kilogram.

Local authorities say two cocaine bricks are still missing.

‘Think about yourself, your family’

Duterte said police are pursuing a lead on the person who is hiding the remaining cocaine bricks. “More or less we have an idea on the identity of the person who we are looking for,” said the mayor, who is known for his tough anti-crime policies.

“I hope that whoever is hiding it that he will feel concern for his self and his family. Try to find a better job or else your wife will be a widow,” Duterte added.

Duterte earlier offered reward money to anyone who could provide information on the whereabouts of the missing cocaine.

The local government plans to publicly burn the cocaine once all 64 bricks are recovered by the police forces.

And even as the investigation on the origin and destination of the illegal shipment continues, Duterte hinted his frustration over the implementation of the law, especially at ports that are under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs (BOC)

Local police and even the local government unit cannot interfere with ports operations because BOC has the authority over it, Duterte said.

Duterte added that some people may ask why the local government is not doing anything about the peddling of illegal drugs, and explained he could only do what is within his authority.

Davao not the market

The local government instead beefed up security measures, particularly setting up more random checkpoints near the port area to prevent illegal drugs from entering the local market.

But Duterte asserted that Davao is never the target market of the cocaine shipment because it is very expensive.

“Use of cocaine is unheard here. Only rich people use that. That is expensive,” Duterte said.

Davao, as one of the access points to many countries, is only used as a transshipment point for these illegal cargoes, said the mayor.

He said local police forces and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency are conducting an in-depth study on the movements and shipments of illegal drugs and he said that these are definitely from an international crime syndicate. – Rappler.com