Former President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines should temporarily take over law enforcement and all officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) should step down from their posts.

Interior and Local Government Benjamin Abalos, Jr. on Tuesday announced that the PNP and the National Police Commission (Napolcom) filed criminal complaints against 50 police officials over their alleged involvement in the alleged cover-up in the buy-bust of 990 kilos of shabu worth P6.7 billion last October before the Ombudsman and Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (MOLEO).

In his program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa (From the people, for the people) ” aired on SMNI, Duterte accused the PNP of being a huge drug syndicate.

“These tons of drugs in the hands of the police, in the control of the police without a suspect until now makes me think the police themselves are involved in the illegal drug trade. They are not just protection or trying to cover up. The police are the syndicate themselves,” Duterte said.

“The volume is one too many. Only a few of them are handling the drugs. That means they are the gatekeeper. How many police are involved? Many of them are, it will go up until the generals,” he said.

Duterte said the only “remedy” was to ask all the police to resign.

“The Army would be happy to take over and I suppose that is what should happen,” Duterte said.

“Surrender your firearms at once. Within 24 hours, surrender all your issued firearms and the illegal firearms in your hands. Then I will allow the military to take over. Maintain order in the meantime,” he added.

Abalos earlier this year asked police colonels and generals to submit courtesy resignations to cleanse the ranks of the PNP from being linked to illegal drug activities. Jaspearl Tan/DMS