Duterte hikes bounty for ‘ninja cops’ to P5M

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday increased the bounty for "ninja" or rogue cops from P3 million to P5 million.

Ninja cops is the tag given to police officers involved in the illegal drug trade. Duterte offered a bounty of P2 million for ninja cops in August 2016, then raised it to P3 million in September last year.

"Kung dalhin mo 'yan sa akin patay, P5 million. 'Pag buhay bigyan kita diyes mil [P10,000]," Duterte said in a speech during the convention of regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Davao City.

He also urged the rogue cops to surrender within 48 hours. 

'Pag sinabi ko [sa] publiko totoo yan. P5 million sa ninja cops. Surrender within 48 hours kasi kapag hindi ka nag surrender dadagdagan ko 'yan P1 million per month hanggang ang asawa mo maghanap ng boyfriend diyan [at] papatayin ka," the President said.

Duterte said erring policemen must "shape up," adding he will "rise and fall" on the issue of corruption.

The President earlier expressed frustration at how difficult it is to rid government of corruption, prompting him to float again the possibility of cutting short his six-year term that ends in 2022.

Duterte said he prefers a military junta or the likes of Senator Francis Escudero and former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to replace him instead of Vice President Leni Robredo, his constitutional successor whom he deemed incompetent to tackle the country's pressing problems including the drug menace. — RSJ, GMA News