Duterte to ‘scalawag’ cops: Report to Malacañang, clean up Pasig River

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte said he is overruling the orders of police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa to give the “scalawag cops” another chance by giving them a retraining.

“‘Yung sabi ni Bato na retraining? No. They will be suspended all over. Tapos mag-report sila sa Malacañang, diyan sa opisina ko. Mag-tindig sila lahat diyan until I decide what to do with them,” Duterte said in a press briefing Saturday night, February 4.

(The retraining Bato said, No. They will be suspended all over. Then they will report to Malacañang, in my office. They will stand there until I decide what to do with them.)

An angry Duterte said retraining the so-called scalawag cops will only turn them into “better scalawags.”

In the same press briefing minutes later, an angry Duterte later came up with what he the cops could do in Malacañang – clear up Pasig River from water lilies. The official residence of the president stands on the banks of the river. 

“‘Yung retraining, that is cancelled. I am countermanding the order of Bato. They report to Malacañang. Alam mo bakit ? Kailangan ko linisin ‘yang Pasig River. Hindi makadaan ang barko doon kasi andiyan water lily. Ipakain ko sa kanila yan,” Duterte said. 

(The retraining, that is cancelled. I am countermanding the order or Bato. They report to Malacañang. You know why? I need to clean up the Pasig River. Ships can’t pass because of the water lilies. I’ll have them eat it.)

Corruption in the Philippine National Police was exposed following the murder of a Korean national right inside the police headquarters, Camp Crame. (READ: PNP to create task force vs scalawag cops)

Dubbed as “TokHang for ransom,” the cops alleged used Duterte’s war on drugs as a pretense to effect illegal arrests of their Koren targets. 

Duterte also ordered the police to stop its operations against illegal drugs, resulting in the abolition of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) in the PNP.

Duterte said he wants to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to take over his war on drugs, but how he wants this implemented remains unclear.

“I have yet to make the… whatever executive order becase right now the AFP is in because I declared state of lawlessness. That’s the reason why,” Duterte said. 

Duterte said he also wants to revive the Philippine Constabulary as the 4th service of the AFP. – Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler.com