“Those who destroy the lives of out children will be destroyed,” Mr Duterte said in wide-ranging comments to reporters in Davao yesterday afternoon as he outlined on his was on crime once he is sworn into office in June 30.
“Those who kill my country will be killed. Simper as that. No middle ground. No apolagies. No excuses.”
Mr Duterte also vowed to roll out Davao law-and-order measures on a nationwide basis, including a 2am curfew on drinking in public places and a ban on children walking on the streets alone late at night. Smoking in restaurants and hotels will also be banned.
Mr Duterte said a central part of his war on crime would be to bring back the death penalty, which was abolished in 2006 under then-president Gloria Arroyo.
Mr Duterte said he would ask Congress to reintroduce capital punishment for a wide range of crimes, including drug trafficking, rape, murder, robbery, and kidnapping-for-ransom.
He said he preferred death by hanging to firing squad because he did not want to waste bullets, and because he believed snapping the spine with a noose was more humane. For people convicted of two major crimes, Mr Duterte said he wanted them hanged twice.
“After you are hanged first, there will be another ceremony for the second time until the head is completely severed from the body. I like that because I am mad,” he said.
The centrepiece of Mr Duterte’s stunningly successful election campaign was a pledge to end crime within three to six months of baing elected.