MOVE OVER DIRTY HARRY, DUTERTE'S HERE

QUOTING the Bible's passage "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,"
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday that summary execution
of criminals remained the most effective way to curb kidnapping and
illicit drugs.

Duterte, an anti-crime consultant, made the proposal before President
Macapagal-Arroyo, Interior Secretary Joey Lina, national police chief
Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. and members of the Chinese-Filipino community at
a crime summit in the Manila Hotel.

"The intention of the criminals is to instill fear in their victims
and kill them. What should we do, but kill them also," he said,
eliciting applause.

He added: "My policy is that if you are a kidnapper and a drug pusher,
you put yourself and your life on the line."

His stance stole the thunder from Ms Macapagal. But the President did
not mind.

She was visibly pleased as the mayor lengthily spoke about his methods
to get rid of criminals, which observers say border on
vigilantism.

During the open forum, Ms Macapagal turned to Duterte to ask his
opinion about kidnappers.

Duterte, whom the President asked last week to head a Philippine
National Police "consultative task force" on kidnapping and illegal
drugs, took half an hour giving his opinion, eliciting applause and
chuckles from the audience, including the President.

"There are loose talk, sordid talk about what I do. You have the human
rights (groups), the courts, Ombudsman. Let them worry about it. But
we can't just sit down just because we are afraid to face charges in
court," Duterte said.

He related how a certain "Kapitan Inggo," a man accused of rape and
other crimes, came one time to his office to shake hands.

"Now he's gone. I don't know (where he is). Don't ask me," he said, as
the audience applauded. Duterte said criminals "threaten to kill, so
what we'll do is we kill them, too," to more applause.

According to him, he gives criminal suspects the chance to leave Davao
City peacefully. "After that I strike. Wala itong yabang ha?"

"You must realize, you criminals, that you don't have a monopoly on
evil in this country," he said, prompting Ms Macapagal to burst into
laughter.

Duterte said he phrased his iron-fist policy in a way that ordinary
criminals could understand: "Dito sa Davao, isa lang ang tigas. To-its
lang. Isa lang ang gwapo.

"Kasi kung maraming gwapo, maraming tigas, walang direksyon."

The mayor said the people of Davao supported him "because they know
that whatever I do, I'm doing it for them," earning him more applause.

Bleeding hearts

"You know very well that killing can never be the solution of what
ails this country. We know that poverty is the No. 1 cause of our
hardships. But I don't follow the bleeding hearts of libertarians.
Just because that we are in the midst of poverty, we would allow crime
to overwhelm this country, otherwise we would sink," he said.

"Either we solve this problem during our generation or we forget about
the future of our children."

Duterte said he was against forming "task forces" within the PNP. But
he said he was willing to work with Ebdane.

"I'm not (working) above or beside the PNP (chief). I'll be working
under you," he concluded.

"Wow, galling," Ms Macapagal finally interjected, ending Duterte's
speech.

Some Filipino-Chinese businessmen welcomed Duterte's hardline stance
against members of the kidnap-for-ransom gangs.

"His advocacy is very practical. I think an iron-fist (policy) will
solve the problem of kidnappings. This will lead to economic
progress," said John Ng, president of the Federation of the
Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.

Most of the kidnap victims come from the Chinese-Filipino
community.