Duterte tells 160 govt officials to surrender
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who is waging a bloody war on drug suspects, yesterday publicly named over 160 judges, mayors, legislators, police and military men allegedly involved in narcotics and warned them to surrender.
"Due process has nothing to do with my mouth (statements). There are no proceedings here, no lawyers," he said in a pre-dawn speech just before he began listing them.
More than 800 drug suspects have been killed by police or vigilantes since Duterte's election on May 9, in a campaign which has attracted widespread criticism from rights groups.
The president listed nine judges and over 50 current or former congressmen, mayors and other local officials whom he alleged were involved in illegal drugs.
Duterte ordered their security escorts withdrawn and cancelled their firearms permits, adding that they would face sanctions. He also named about a hundred retired or active police officers and soldiers whom he said were involved, and relieved them of duty.
"If you show the slightest violence in the resistance, I will tell the police, 'Shoot them'," he told reporters and soldiers in the southern city of Davao.
He said soldiers and police should immediately surrender to their superiors while the judges should report to the Supreme Court.
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