Duterte: PNP won’t interfere with PDEA's work

President Rodrigo Duterte has said the Philippine National Police (PNP) would not interfere with the anti-illegal drugs operations of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“Kaya ang sabi nila, pinapatay daw ninyo, o ‘di sige, kayo ang… Ngayon, ang iniwan ko PDEA. PDEA na lang, all throughout the country, PDEA… Pagka drug operation sabi ko sa pulis, huwag kayong makialam. Pag may habulan diyan at nagsabi droga ito, umalis kayo. Hayaan mo sila,” he said in his taped interview with broadcaster Erwin Tulfo that aired on state-run People’s Television on Friday night.

The interview was taped on Thursday night.

Duterte said with this news scheme, critics could only run to PDEA if they will complain about drug-related deaths—no police, no military.

The President also hinted that he would no longer take an active role in the war on drugs.

“Pero ngayon, kung sino man ang may negosyo niyan, okay na kayo, hindi rin ako makialam. Buhay ka pa naman, gusto mo to continue but you have to contend with PDEA,” he said referring to narco-politicians.

“Ako, I will not anymore interfere. Pagka ngayon talaga, hindi hugas kamay, ayaw ko talaga, hindi ako naghugas, ayaw ko na. Pulis, huwag na kayong makialam. Military, huwag na kayong makialam,” he added.

But Duterte already expressed his doubt whether the PDEA could handle the anti-illegal drugs operations given their apparent lack of manpower.

“Kaya siguro ng PDEA. Mahusay naman si Aaron Aquino. He’s the—he used to be assigned in—Talagang mahusay ‘yan. But whether his organization can cope up, that is something else,” he said.

Duterte in his speech in Dumaguete City on Friday warned of “grave consequences” of making PDEA the sole agency tasked to handle anti-illegal drugs campaigns and operations. — BAP, GMA News