Duterte: I never killed an innocent person  

He had claimed to have killed over a thousand people, but Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte maintains that he "never killed an innocent person."

Asked by GMA News and radio dzBB anchor Mike Enriquez on the radio program “Ikaw Na Ba? ... The Presidential Interview” how Duterte knew that none of those he killed were innocent, the Davao mayor replied, “Wala akong sinabi. May pinatay ba akong inosente?”

“Yung kriminal, huwag na yon, huwag na nating pag-usapan yon, kasi mamamatay talaga yan,” said Duterte, whom Amnesty International accused of having killed 700 people.

To this, Duterte responded last December that he had actually killed 1,700 and not just 700.

On radio dzBB on Tuesday, Duterte said while he admits to killing people, he is not in favor of extrajudicial killings.

He said the killings happen when the police and the military come face to face with criminals.

He mentioned that tapping the police’s and military’s help will also be his tactic to achieve his aim of wiping out drugs and criminality within three to six months of assuming office, if he is elected president.

“No secret. I will use the military,” he said. “I will tell them to farm out and hunt the drug lords. Totoo ito, karamihan diyan may armas. Mga sharpshooter yan.”

“Sasabihin ko sa military, ‘If you think that your life is in jeopardy, ang buhay mo nasa delikado na, shoot,” he added.

Duterte said he dislikes the idea of having policemen or military men killed by criminals.

“Ayaw kong mamatay ang pulis at militar na nagtratrabaho lang naman. At kung sabihin mo na magkakabarilan, sasabihin ko, wag kang magpabaril,” he said.

“Barilin mo. But if you are asking me, talian mo tapos babarilin mo sa likod, wag na yang extralegal [killing],” Duterte said. “If you are in danger of losing your life, bakit (pabayaan) mo when you are allowed to save yourself?”

Human rights

On the killing of criminals, Enriquez told Duterte, “Kontra po diyan ang CHR (Commission on Human Rights).”

Duterte responded, “Ah, wala na akong pakialam diyan.”

“As long as you are committing a crime in my presence, meron kang krimeng ginagawa sa harap ko, tapos lumaban ka, I have every right to kill you. Period,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News