In a piece of profanity-laced advice to the Officer-in-Charge of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), President Duterte suggested that smugglers be made to consume the fake medicines they have illegally brought into the country.
Duterte made this statement after FDA OIC Oscar Gutierrez made a presentation about counterfeit drugs during the episode of "Talk to the People" on Monday evening, February 7.
The President told Gutierrez that the FDA has to make sure that smugglers of fake drugs are prosecuted, saying it was important that the source of the counterfeit drugs are pinpointed to warn the public about the proliferation of fake drugs.
"I am interested to see them inside the prison. Your job is not merely going after and conducting the raid and arresting persons, and, of course, confiscating the drugs," he said.
Duterte, however, acknowledged that almost all cases involving counterfeit drugs go nowhere.
"The one thing that's really where I find the fault, mahina ang prosecution sa mga kasong ganito (the prosecution is weak on cases like this) or completely forgotten, or the cases are dismissed because there's nobody testifying for the government," he said.
However, the President insisted that he wanted to see smugglers of fake drugs be punished one way or another.
To stress his point, Duterte, by now visibly irked, said he would want to see a smuggler consume 10 fake Viagra pills, and see what would be the effect of the fake drug for sexual dysfunction on the offender.
"We are interested to know what happens to the idiots if they are given a drug... Ibigay mo sa kanila, lalo na 'yang Viagra, ipaubos mo 'yang sampu sa bunganga nila (Give it to them, especially the Viagra, shove 10 into their mouths)," he said.
"'Pag ako ang nakahuli sa inyo, 'yan ang gawin ko. Ipainom ko sa inyo o i-injection ko sa katawan mo (That is what I will do to you if I catch you. I will make you take it or inject it in your body)," he added.
"Ngayon, kung mamatay ka, magkasakit ka, problema mo 'yan. 'Wag mo akong balikan sa problema na ginawa mo (Now, if you die, or get sick, that is your problem. Do not come after me for a problem that you created)," he continued.
The President likewise said that he does not mind if his order would mean another strike against him in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"Sabihin, sino nag-utos-- Sabihin mo ako, para pangdagdag doon sa ICC (If they ask you who gave the order, tell them it's me. Let's add this to the charges against me at the ICC)," he said.
Duterte then gave one final warning to those who are into smuggling fake drugs in the country.
"You might be able to do all of these things, but one day, if we meet in one corner and you are caught committing a crime, sorry na lang. Yung pinagsasabi nilang ginagawa ko-- pwedeng tama, pwedeng mali-- but you will know kung magkita tayo (I'm sorry. You will know when we meet if what they're saying about me is right or wrong)," he said.
"Diyan mo malaman kung tama ang sinasabi ng International Criminal Court. Diyan mo malalaman kung totoo ang mga akusasyon sa akin (That is the time you will know if the ICC is right about me. By that time, you will know if the accusations against me are true)," he added.