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MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte wants police officers to revert to using batons as their “first line of defense” to prevent them from drawing their weapons when suspects resist arrest.
He has been wondering why police stopped issuing truncheons in the first place, he said in his prerecorded weekly address Monday.
“You know, when a person resists arrest and becomes violent, the first impulse of the police [officer] without a baton is to hold your weapon. He may not take it out, but he’s holding his gun ready for action, ”Duterte said.
“Now, if you have a cane, the canes used to be made of rubber and you hit your hand or your body, that is painful. Maybe you can subdue the person who resists arrest or the criminal, ”he added.
“Now if I brought the poles I would probably bring back the hard rubber [ones] – not the wooden ones, ”he continued. “Meanwhile, rattan will do. We will look for the money next year. I’ll buy you the baton. Y [you should] use the cane, not the weapon. “
At the same meeting, the Secretary of the Interior, Eduardo Año, raised the suggestion that law enforcement officers use rattan sticks not only for self-defense but also to measure the physical distance between people.
Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield Chief Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne previously said that distancing agents could “yantok” to ensure protocols would be followed, and could even use the stick to hit those who refuse to follow the rules.
But presidential spokesman Harry Roque rejected the use of rattan sticks for defense, saying they can only be used to measure social distancing.
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