Duterte death threat encourages impunity - CHR

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) scores Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's threat to kill rice smugglers. CHR chair Etta Rosales said as a public official, Duterte should follow the law and not take the law into his own hands. Rosales added that Duterte's statement, which was made in front of senators, only encourages the climate of impunity. Senate Committee on Agriculture chair Cynthia Villar, meanwhile, said she takes the Davao mayor's statement as a figure of speech. She also urged the justice department to speed up the filing of charges against Davidson Bangayan, the alleged rice smuggling king whom Duterte said he would "gladly kill." ANC Dateline Philippines, February 5, 2014