'Dragon' corrupted Visayas officials, Pres claims

President Rodrigo Duterte

MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to have warned drug syndicates about suffering the same fate as the Odicta couple, who were gunned down at Caticlan Port Monday.

"Sino gustong sumunod dito kay Odicta, bakante ngayon. Patay na raw [Who wants to follow them to the grave? Their positions have been vacated, they're dead]," Duterte said, during his visit to the wake of a policeman who was killed during an anti-drug operation.

Duterte maintained that Melvin alias "Dragon," was involved in illegal drugs not only in Iloilo but in many parts of the Visayas.

Melvin and his wife Merriam already denied the allegations Thursday, as they surrendered to Interior Secretary Mike Sueno in Camp Crame. On Monday, they were killed while alighting from a roll-on roll-off vessel at Caticlan port.

"He is wanted and he is the number 1 drug lord. Talagang drug lord ito. and I was just informed early this morning that yung Odicta couple patay, [I was informed this morning they were killed]," said Duterte.

"I cannot say anything good or bad. 'Yan ang pinili niya eh [That's the fate they chose," he said.

"'Yang Odicta was really being hunted. Inabot siya ng malas [Bad luck got him]," added Duterte.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) earlier tagged Odicta as a major supplier of drugs in the Iloilo province. The agency said he went by the name "Dragon" in the underground trade.

Odicta and his wife, Merriam, met with Interior Secretary Mike Sueno in Quezon City on Thursday to deny any wrongdoing, presenting instead a ''drug matrix'' involving several lawmakers and local officials.

Duterte also claimed Odicta was was "corrupting everybody," even the governors.

"May isang governor dito sa Visayas, he is already dysfunctional," Duterte said. [There is a governor here in Visayas, he's already dysfunctional.]

Police were still investigating the murder of the Odicta couple.