IF he is elected president in May, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed to double the monthly take-home pay of policemen and soldiers to support his pledge to stop the worsening state of criminality in the country.

Mr. Duterte, who made Davao the most peaceful urban city in the Philippines today, said a motivated and professional police force and armed forces will be instrumental in clearing the streets of criminals and drug pushers to make every community in the country peaceful and orderly.

Speaking in his first campaign sortie in Pangasinan, Mr. Duterte noted that the monthly salary of ordinary policemen is only P14,000 which is not enough for people who risk their lives to support a family.

He said it is the low salaries that tempt some policemen to resort to illegal activities to earn more for their families.

He said the situation for the lowly paid policeman is aggravated when he or she is charged in court for doing their job.

“If a policeman is suspended without pay, it will be a big blow to his family which is solely relying upon his monthly take home pay,” he said. “Worse, if a policeman is sued for performing his duty, he will have to get his own lawyer to defend him in court since his own organization can not even provide him one,” Mr. Duterte added.

He said he will employ the full force of the police and the military to get the criminals and drug lords at all cost dead or alive, and should any of policemen or soldiers who did their jobs be haled to court, he will own to the charge, assume responsibility and bear all the consequences by himself.

In his speech, Mr. Duterte said that criminals and drug lords are on notice and will have someone to fear should he become president.

At the same time, the Davao mayor urged policemen to stay away from vice, including womanizing, and warned those who insist on their illegal activities after receiving better compensation of immediate dismissal and charged in court.

He also warned that he will be unrelenting in going after the corrupt government officials and employees whether in national or local levels. He dared them to continue with their corrupt practices.

And he assured that the Duterte-Cayetano administration will not only continue the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps) but will introduce more features and benefits.

The Mindanao problem, he said, is complex and he is the only presidential candidate who understands the situation and expressed confidence that federalism is the better solution and alternative to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). (Leonardo Micua)

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