Mayor Duterte Urged to Run for President

Mayor Duterte who is known to be a notorious mayor of Davao City is urged to run for president of the Philippines. He has been dubbed as the real-life Punisher for using vigilante methods to reduce crime around the city. Mayor Duterte’s way of showing discipline received local adoration and international condemnation from people who doesn't know what is justice.

Over the past 26 years, the crime fighting mayor has turned Davao City from criminal free and the safest city for civilians in the Philippines. Davao city has been awarded by the “most peaceful city in southeast Asia”.

The mayor has been associated to a secret group Davao Death Squad, a vigilante outfit responsible for the execution of drug traffickers, addicts, petty criminals, gang members and other bad elements in the city.

According to survey, there is a decrease in number of crimes in the city but almost 700 people went missing between year 2005 and 2008 who are presumed to be killed by the squad.

Mayor Duterte never claimed to be the initiator of the squad but his public comments about cleaning up the streets appear to overlook its violent activities.

In 2009, he said that if anybody is doing any illegal activity in his city, if you are a criminal or part of a syndicate that targets innocent people of the city, as long as he is the mayor, they are legitimate target of assassination.

In 2012, press conference, Mr. Duterte offered a $120, 000 reward for whoever could bring him the beheaded head of an accused gang leader. He offered an extra $24, 000 if the head could be brought in a bag ice, so that it will not smell so bad.

His fight against rice smugglers raised eyebrows internationally in February when he told the Senate committee that he would “gladly kill” an accused smuggler (which is also right because these few number of smugglers makes millions of Filipino suffer from hunger and poverty.)

According to Mayor Duterte, he wants the rice smuggling to be stopped in his city during the press conference. He warned the accused smuggler to stop doing the smuggling activities or else he will kill the person.

He also issued a shoot-to-kill order against any lawless elements in Davao City and instructed security forces to shoot any looters after Typhoon Haiyan hit last year.