The Dark Angels descend on the streets of Manila.
'Only one chance.'
And if they don't stop dealing?
'It's a knock on the door again, and a bullet between the eyes.'
These are Manila's vigilantes.
Some call them death squads, other's call them the Dark Angels.
'Most of the extrajudicial killings are not by the police.'
But the police aren't complaining.
It's a copycat of Medellín drug cartel in Colombia, he says, 'when the government started targeting the dealers, the dealers started killing the informers.'
The question is who is going inform on who?
'The dealers couldn't risk the uncertainty of that.'
He says once the foot soldiers have been killed off, the police come in and kill the last man standing.
'But it's not like they were warned, stop dealing or die.'
He says when Duterte got into power and passed his zero drug tolerance program, the first to be arrested were four top generals in the army.
'He's targeting the big fish first and then netting the smaller dealers.'
He says now there are no more kidnappings.
'You don't hear of Abu Sharif kidnapping anymore, do you?'
Before Duterte got into power, he says the streets of Manila were controlled by violent gangs, many of them targeting tourists.
'With the incoming president, many of those drug pushers just disappeared,' he says. 'A few ended up floating in Manila Bay wrapped up in duct tape.'
Work of the vigilantes?
'Could be.'
Any police collusion?
'Could be.'
My source says the streets are safer.
'Four police tried to plant drugs on a tourist,' he says. 'But after following up a suggestion to file a complaint with the Crime Suppression Division the charges were dropped and the officers were stripped of their badges...'
And dumped in Manila Bay?
'Duterte says if officers don' track down criminals, then they'll pay for it.'
The police now get double pay, a deterrent from pulling small tricks, he says.
Duterte was a prosecutor in Davao City.
'There were stories of hardcore criminals being wrapped up in duct tape and taken for a ride in a helicopter and dumped out to sea for the fish to eat.'
He says the fear of Duterte has contributed to a safer Manila.
'Any cop caught doing bad things will usually get relocated to the insurgent troubled southern island of Mindanao. The president will wish the demoted copper good luck, saying, 'see you back in Manila either alive or in a coffin.''
Some love him, others are just plain shit scared of him.
'Duterte says to the foreign journalists, if you don't understand what's going in the Philipines, then come here and see it for yourself.'
I have.
'Seeing the end of Abu Shariff and nasty street criminals can't be a bad thing, can it?' he asks.
That's what it's all about.
Either they kill us, or we kill them, he says.
I know what I prefer.
'Have you been asked for any shabu on the streets?' he asks.
Nope, but I've been propositioned by a few whores.
'Well the policy is working then,' he says, 'before Duterte, you could score on every corner.'
So when you see the Dark Angels knocking on your door.
'There's one chance, then game over.'
Apparently what he told me is common knowlege on the streets of Manila.
'It's not a state secret,' he says. 'Just ask and we'll tell you, the Philipines is a democracy and we never suppress the truth.'
He's not the only one who has been forthcoming.
There might be tyranny on the streets, but the fear factor is low.
'If you don't use or deal in drugs, then you'll have nothing to fear.'
I show him a memo circulating around the banks of two foreigners who have been skimming ATM's.
'I don't envy them when they get caught,' he says.
They were both wearing baseball caps.
'But you can still see them, the print out is only low resolution but you can guarantee there's a higher resolution picture floating around.'
Don't use drugs or steal from the Philipinos he says, 'just that plain and simple.'
He pulls out a gun.
'I was scammed from the same ATM machine,' he says with a tone of menace.
Seriously, I say, he looks NOTHING LIKE ME.
I never did ask my source if he was a member of the Dark Angels.
'Wasn't it obvious?'
He puts the gun back in the holster and slaps me on the back.
'I was only fucking with you.'
Everyone carries a gun in Manila, he says, 'so watch what you say, it could be the difference between a morning crap or a dump in Manila Bay.'
Sound advice.
And I'm listening.
This was a lesson in the Catholic temperament. It was one I wasn't going to forget for a long time.
