Gordon: ‘Noisy’ Duterte ‘falling on his own sword’

Senator Richard Gordon on Monday said President Rodrigo Duterte was “falling on his own sword” for being “too noisy” on publicly expressing his desire to have suspected drug users and pushers killed.

“Maingay ang Pangulo, sobrang ingay ng Pangulo. Tama lang na ipakita niya na galit siya sa droga pero huwag na siyang mag-ingay na ‘I will kill you,’ hindi tama ‘yan,” Gordon said.

“Kaya he is falling on his own sword, nadadapa siya sa kanyang espada dahil salita siya nang salita, napagbibintangan tuloy ang bansa na ‘yan ang nangyayari,” he added.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate justice committee, made the statement at the resumption of the probe on drug-related killings.

“Kaibigan ko ang Presidente, pareho kami nag-mayor pero ayokong salita nang salita ang Presidente kung ano gagawin niya. Pero dapat ang sasabihin niya, ‘Masyadong maraming hindi nasu-solve at i-solve ‘yan,’” Gordon said.

Cops' accountability

The senator told Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that cops involved in killings should be held accountable.

“Kahit isa lang ang namatay at hindi na-solve ng pulis ang kaso, ang tao matatakot. Kaya siguro tayo tinitira ng foreign media,” he said.

Gordon then took a swipe against international media, and said that foreigners should not be hesitant of visiting the Philippines amid the spate of alleged extrajudicial killings.

“We have to be accountable. To the media here, the foreign media, I don’t care what you say about us. We have not thrown the rule book because the Senate is investigating extrajudicial killings, whatever you want to define it,” he said.

“The law has not been thrown kaya 'wag kayo matakot sa Pilipinas because the Senate is investigating,” Gordon stressed.

Gordon said at least 1,300 policemen are involved in shooting incidents.

Of the number, some 680 cops have been charged after a motu proprio probe, according to the Internal Affairs Service of the PNP. —ALG, GMA News