Duterte repeats $40,000 bounty and free Hong Kong trip for killing drug-pushing police officers

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday (17 August) reiterated that he would give police officers 2m pesos, or roughly $40,000 (£31,068) and an all-expenses-paid trip to Hong Kong if they arrest or kill other policemen who allegedly helped a mayor involved in the drug trade.

According to reports, the mayor of the southern city of Ozamiz, Reynaldo Parojinog was killed in a pre-dawn raid along with his wife, his brother and 13 other people. The president said few unidentified policemen had worked with Parojinog.

"Each of those policemen carry on their heads now, I am announcing, two million per head and you are free to go on leave [to pursue them]," Duterte told the officers in the audience as reported by the South China Morning Post.

"I'll cut short my speech so that you will have a chance for a crack at the two million for those idiots."

The president said the award would be given if the policemen were found "dead or alive – better dead".

"If you in the police or military get into trouble in the performance of your duty, I will never allow you to be jailed," Duterte added.

He also warned the same pressure will be on all the police force to not involve in any kind of drug dealings.

Duterte had initially placed the bounty on policemen who had a hand in the notorious drug transactions in early August.

The Philippines has been witnessing a bloody anti-drug campaign under Duterte. Despite rampant allegations of serious human rights abuses, Duterte has given little regard to any criticism and even went to the extent of warning to order shooting down of human rights advocates.