Duterte threatens to suspend mayors of places where drugs proliferate

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday threatened to suspend mayors who can’t control the proliferation of illegal drugs in their localities.

In a speech before the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption in Malacañang, Duterte discussed the siege in Marawi City. He  had previously claimed that illegal drugs funded terrorism in Mindanao.

“Kaya ‘yang Marawi, walang areglo na ‘yan. Cannot be. Sabi ko sa mga mayors, wala na silang police power ngayon, isauli ko lang ‘yan kung matapos na ang giyera, at sabihin ng pulis pati military, ‘Mayor, okay na,’” he said.

“But kung pagbalik ko niyan, kung kayo you cannot control drugs in your city, tanggalan kita… I might just go outright suspend you. So that’s my next move,” he added.

Duterte dared the local leaders to ask the courts to stop him from suspending them.

“So marami na namang korte, away ‘yan. I-TRO na naman ako ng mga huwes. Sabihin ko sa huwes, ‘Kaya mo? Kasi kung kaya mo, sige.’ Otherwise, itong mga i— na pulis… Ah itong kasali na mga mayors, you have the authority over the police,” he said.

“If you cannot control drugs in your city, I will just suspend you. Magbakasyon ka na lang. Wala man rin kayong silbi. So I will not return the police power to you. Wala akong pakialam sa inyo. ‘Yan ang… That is the sad story,” he added. —JST, GMA News