Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines) Copyright: 2002 Philippine Daily Inquirer Contact: http://www.inquirer.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1073 Author: TJ Burgonio and Dona Pazzibugan, Inquirer News Service MOVE OVER DIRTY HARRY, DUTERTE'S HERE QUOTING the Bible's passage "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday that summary execution of criminals remained the most effective way to curb kidnapping and illicit drugs. Duterte, an anti-crime consultant, made the proposal before President Macapagal-Arroyo, Interior Secretary Joey Lina, national police chief Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and members of the Chinese-Filipino community at a crime summit in the Manila Hotel. "The intention of the criminals is to instill fear in their victims and kill them. What should we do, but kill them also," he said, eliciting applause. He added: "My policy is that if you are a kidnapper and a drug pusher, you put yourself and your life on the line." His stance stole the thunder from Ms Macapagal. But the President did not mind. She was visibly pleased as the mayor lengthily spoke about his methods to get rid of criminals, which observers say border on vigilantism. During the open forum, Ms Macapagal turned to Duterte to ask his opinion about kidnappers. Duterte, whom the President asked last week to head a Philippine National Police "consultative task force" on kidnapping and illegal drugs, took half an hour giving his opinion, eliciting applause and chuckles from the audience, including the President. "There are loose talk, sordid talk about what I do. You have the human rights (groups), the courts, Ombudsman. Let them worry about it. But we can't just sit down just because we are afraid to face charges in court," Duterte said. He related how a certain "Kapitan Inggo," a man accused of rape and other crimes, came one time to his office to shake hands. "Now he's gone. I don't know (where he is). Don't ask me," he said, as the audience applauded. Duterte said criminals "threaten to kill, so what we'll do is we kill them, too," to more applause. According to him, he gives criminal suspects the chance to leave Davao City peacefully. "After that I strike. Wala itong yabang ha?" "You must realize, you criminals, that you don't have a monopoly on evil in this country," he said, prompting Ms Macapagal to burst into laughter. Duterte said he phrased his iron-fist policy in a way that ordinary criminals could understand: "Dito sa Davao, isa lang ang tigas. To-its lang. Isa lang ang gwapo. "Kasi kung maraming gwapo, maraming tigas, walang direksyon." The mayor said the people of Davao supported him "because they know that whatever I do, I'm doing it for them," earning him more applause. Bleeding hearts "You know very well that killing can never be the solution of what ails this country. We know that poverty is the No. 1 cause of our hardships. But I don't follow the bleeding hearts of libertarians. Just because that we are in the midst of poverty, we would allow crime to overwhelm this country, otherwise we would sink," he said. "Either we solve this problem during our generation or we forget about the future of our children." Duterte said he was against forming "task forces" within the PNP. But he said he was willing to work with Ebdane. "I'm not (working) above or beside the PNP (chief). I'll be working under you," he concluded. "Wow, galling," Ms Macapagal finally interjected, ending Duterte's speech. Some Filipino-Chinese businessmen welcomed Duterte's hardline stance against members of the kidnap-for-ransom gangs. "His advocacy is very practical. I think an iron-fist (policy) will solve the problem of kidnappings. This will lead to economic progress," said John Ng, president of the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. Most of the kidnap victims come from the Chinese-Filipino community. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek