Duterte issues gag order on cops involved in shoot-out

DAVAO CITY, July 16 (PIA) Mayor Rodrigo Duterte issued a gag order on all policemen involved in the shootout during a foiled kidnap-for-ransom pay-off in front a bank along C.M. Recto Street which left three alleged perpetrators killed.

He advised the police to shut-up and invoke their constitutional rights to remain silent and to be assisted by a lawyer in any proceeding.

Duterte designated Atty. Salvador Panelo to do the job as their legal counsel.

“If you want evidence, do not get it from my mouth or from the mouth of the policemen.  I have ordered them to shut-up.  Manila people, your build a case against us,” he said.

Duterte said the police may respond if they receive a subpoena for them to appear in inquiries but they have to invoke their constitutional rights to silence and legal remedies.

He stressed the imputation of murder to the action of the police during the foiled kidnap-for-ransom pay-off changed everything, consequently pointing on the policemen as the criminals.

“In any stage of whatever proceeding or hearing, a citizen of this country, whether a criminal or a policeman, or a rebel can always invoke the constitutional right to remain silent and the right to counsel,” Duterte said.

He said anybody who would want to know the logical step on the incident to do has to deal with Atty. Panelo.

Duterte said the police and the local government have nothing to hide relative to the incident.

He said the recorded video on the shooting incident is only good as entertainment.

“But legally, it is garbage.  In court proceedings, the person who took the video has a lot of explaining to do where the gun burst came from,” Duterte said.

Earlier, the Mayor said the police operation was legitimate.

He said  the policy of the city government to shoot armed and dangerous criminals stands.

Duterte told the public that the shoot to kill order and reward for criminals are legitimate tools of government to fight lawlessness.

He stressed that he is answerable only to the residents of the city who elected him to office. (PIA XI-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)