Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Go wants Robredo to commit murder in asking her to kill drug lords, says LP solon
Philippines
Go wants Robredo to commit murder in asking her to kill drug lords, says LP solon
Go wants Robredo to commit murder in asking her to kill drug lords, says LP solon
Published Nov 24, 2019 12:00 am
By Ellson Quismorio
What Senator Christopher "Bong" Go wants is for Vice President Leni Robredo to commit straight up murder.
Thus, claimed Quezon City sixth district Rep. Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte, in reference to Go's supposed challenge to Robredo to kill drug lords.
Quezon City sixth district Rep. Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte (FACEBOOK/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"May tawag po sa suggestion ni Senator Go: Murder (We have a term for Senator Go's suggestion: Murder," Belmonte, the Liberal Party's (LP) secretary-general, said in a statement n Sunday.
Belmonte went on to suggest that he had seen through the rhetorical plan – if not trap – of the former Special Assistant to the President as far as Robredo's recent designation as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs or ICAD is concerned.
The lady official also serves as LP chairperson.
"Ang gusto po nila, pasukin natin ang debate ng kung may karapatan ba sa due process ang mga drug lord. Kung may karapatan din ba silang mabuhay (What they want is for us to enter the debate on whether or not drug lords have the right to due process. If they have the right to live)," Belmonte said.
"Pero bago po siguro pasukin ang debateng yun, tanungin muna natin: Sino nga ba ang mga drug lords na ito? Kung may listahan siya ng mga ito, ang pinakamaganda siguro, makipagtulungan na lang siya (Go) kay VP Leni para masigurong masusugpo ang droga," he added.
(Before we enter that debate, let's ask this question: Who are these drug lords that we are referring to? If there is a list, maybe it's best for him to just cooperate with VP Leni to ensure the eradication of drugs.)
Belmonte further said in virtual jabs at the neophyte senator: "Hulihin po natin sila nang mabilis, at nang ayon sa batas. Pag nahuli natin sila, tsaka natin ulit kunin ang opinyon ni Senator Go -- kung talagang murder ang nasa isip niya."
(Let's arrest them swiftly and in accordance with the law. Once we have arrested them, let us again ask the opinion of Senator Go if he was really thinking about murder.)
"Kasi alam namin, para kay VP Leni, ang mahalaga, tunay na hustisya. Hindi body count (What we know is, for VP Leni, genuine justice is what's important. Not the body count)," he pointed out.
Robredo recently sought from her co-ICAD chair Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino the government's list of high-value targets (HVTs) in connection with the anti-illegal drug war.
Aquino was hesitant at first but eventually said he could share such list to the Vice President in a closed-door meeting. Meanwhile, some administration allies have insisted that there's no need for Robredo to access the HVT list.
An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 Filipinos--depending on who you ask--have been slain since the Duterte administration began its anti-illegal drug campaign in July 2016. Most of the fatalities were from the poor.
Quezon City sixth district Rep. Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte (FACEBOOK/ MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
"May tawag po sa suggestion ni Senator Go: Murder (We have a term for Senator Go's suggestion: Murder," Belmonte, the Liberal Party's (LP) secretary-general, said in a statement n Sunday.
Belmonte went on to suggest that he had seen through the rhetorical plan – if not trap – of the former Special Assistant to the President as far as Robredo's recent designation as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs or ICAD is concerned.
The lady official also serves as LP chairperson.
"Ang gusto po nila, pasukin natin ang debate ng kung may karapatan ba sa due process ang mga drug lord. Kung may karapatan din ba silang mabuhay (What they want is for us to enter the debate on whether or not drug lords have the right to due process. If they have the right to live)," Belmonte said.
"Pero bago po siguro pasukin ang debateng yun, tanungin muna natin: Sino nga ba ang mga drug lords na ito? Kung may listahan siya ng mga ito, ang pinakamaganda siguro, makipagtulungan na lang siya (Go) kay VP Leni para masigurong masusugpo ang droga," he added.
(Before we enter that debate, let's ask this question: Who are these drug lords that we are referring to? If there is a list, maybe it's best for him to just cooperate with VP Leni to ensure the eradication of drugs.)
Belmonte further said in virtual jabs at the neophyte senator: "Hulihin po natin sila nang mabilis, at nang ayon sa batas. Pag nahuli natin sila, tsaka natin ulit kunin ang opinyon ni Senator Go -- kung talagang murder ang nasa isip niya."
(Let's arrest them swiftly and in accordance with the law. Once we have arrested them, let us again ask the opinion of Senator Go if he was really thinking about murder.)
"Kasi alam namin, para kay VP Leni, ang mahalaga, tunay na hustisya. Hindi body count (What we know is, for VP Leni, genuine justice is what's important. Not the body count)," he pointed out.
Robredo recently sought from her co-ICAD chair Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino the government's list of high-value targets (HVTs) in connection with the anti-illegal drug war.
Aquino was hesitant at first but eventually said he could share such list to the Vice President in a closed-door meeting. Meanwhile, some administration allies have insisted that there's no need for Robredo to access the HVT list.
An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 Filipinos--depending on who you ask--have been slain since the Duterte administration began its anti-illegal drug campaign in July 2016. Most of the fatalities were from the poor.