Duterte warns cops not to enter Okada Manila: Better go away or I'll run you over

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday threatened policemen caught in the premises of a casino with dismissal, saying they have no business to be there.

Duterte, in particular, ordered policemen not to set foot in Okada Manila in Parañaque City, which he described as "crawling with usurers and kidnappers."

"Iyong Okada diyan p____ ina niyan. I’d like to announce, lahat kayong mga pulis umalis kayo diyan. It’s crawling with usurers, kidnappers. So ako ang magdaan diyan ‘pag nakita ko kayo, sagasaan ko kayo. Better go away, lahat ng law enforcement... I do not want even a police car there," he said in a speech during the inauguration of the Cavite Gateway Terminal in Tanza, Cavite.

Sought for comment, the management of Okada Manila said it "shares President Duterte’s concerns" and vowed that it "will cooperate and coordinate with the proper authorities to address this matter."

"The safety and welfare of our guests will always be our utmost priority," it said.

Issued by then-President Ferdinand Marcos in 1977, Presidential Decree 1067B prohibits all government officials and employees, including policemen and soldiers from entering and playing inside casinos.

Also covered by the ban are persons under 21 years of age or students of any school in the Philippines.

"If you violate my order, I will dismiss you from the service. That’s an order because you are there to commit a crime. You are not assigned there. Or I will assign the Army to patrol. Which do you want? Magbarilan kayo o sumunod kayo?" Duterte said.

"And if I lose my patience, I’ll call the [Scout] Rangers. Kayo ang mag-patrolya diyan. Diyan sa galing ng Fort Magsaysay. Mamili kayo, either the military will do the patrolling there or you go out of that place there. I do not want to see any law enforcement guy there, either in uniform or in civilian clothes," he added.

Duterte lamented anew the involvement of law enforcers in illegal activities despite doubling their salaries and ensuring their welfare. 

"Lahat ngayon, arms. Lahat naibigay ko. I’ve been spending a lot. Sakyanan, bago. Doblado ang sweldo. I take care [of it] when you die, even [if] it’s just a sickness. Take care of your family, the expense of government. You better try to sort it out," he said.

"One more policeman there [inside a casino] and incident and I will call the Rangers to come down and patrol the whole of Dewey Boulevard."

Dewey Boulevard is the old name of Roxas Boulevard which is near the Entertainment City, which counts Okada Manila as one of its establishments. — MDM/KBK, GMA News