He said those on the list were.
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GMA News quoted him saying that the named officials’ involvement in the illegal drug trade “might be true or it might not be true”, underlining that they had rights under the constitution and were presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
Duterte did not say what he would do with the list. Let them resist so they can be killed.
“All military and police who are attached to these people, I’m giving you 24 hours to report to your mother unit or I will whack you”.
Those who are soldiers and police should immediately surrender to their superiors, while judges should report to the Supreme Court, he added.
In the southern city of Davao on Sunday he implicated scores of politicians, government officials, judges and law enforcement leaders, before promptly sacking the named members of the military and police.
According to police figures, more than 400 drug suspects have been killed while almost 600,000 others have surrendered since July 1 following Duterte’s inauguration.
Yet astonishingly Duterte, who has gained widespread domestic popularity for his outspokenness, conceded “I might be wrong” about the guilt of those he named, some he said were even his friends.
Police later revealed that six people – including “hitmen” of the “Espinosa drug group” – were killed in raids at homes connected to Albuera town Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and his son Kerwin – who was reportedly overseas, either in Singapore or Malaysia.
Duterte s spokesman Martin Andanar later said that criminal cases would be filed against those named.
Mr Duterte was swept to power in May after vowing to wage a war on illegal drugs and other crime.
Some of those named have since come out in radio and television and denied their guilt.
‘I do not care, ‘ he said. Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said in a statement posted on his website.
Since Duterte took office at the end of June, his war against drugs have left hundreds of suspected drug dealers dead and thousands more arrested, while hundreds of thousands have turned themselves in to authorities.
“I am a human being”.
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Despite criticism from foreign and local human rights organisations and even UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, surveys have shown Duterte enjoys wide public support.
