President Duterte wants successor to go relentless in drug fight
Underscoring the threat posed by illicit narcotics to the country, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday said he would like to discuss the issue with the next president for the continuation of the anti-illegal drugs campaign that he started.
The President made the statement following a report of what authorities say is the largest drug haul in the country’s history.
“Kung mapunta ito doon sa street level, doon sa mga basurero, maraming na namang Pilipino na ano. Ang problema nito, it induces insanity sa tao kaya... Ito papatayin na naman, ‘pag walang mga pera mag-holdup, lahat na. At ang — multiple ang problema dito,” President Duterte said in his weekly public address.
“Sige, let us go and look for them, hunt them down,” he added.
In his report to President Duterte, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said combined forces of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confiscated P12 billion worth of shabu in Infanta, Quezon, last March 16. Ten people were also arrested in the drug operation.
“At dito po makikita po natin na umaabot ng 1,600 kilos or 1.6 tons na shabu na umaabot ng P12 billion ang nasakote ng ating mga law enforcers. At sa kabuuan po ay makikita natin na 1,700 kilos na shabu at 421.5 kilos na marijuana naman po ang nasamsam natin na umaabot ng P13.2 billion,” Año reported.
The interior chief said this is the largest drug haul in the history of the Philippines.
Following the record drug confiscation, he vowed to intensify the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign to get rid of the threat posed by illicit narcotics to Filipinos especially the young population.
Law enforcement agencies have conducted 1,794 anti-illegal drug operations from March 6 to 19, and arrested 2,471 people, including a Chinese national and a Filipina nabbed in Barangay Karuhatan, Valenzuela City. Lawmen confiscated 160 kilos of shabu worth P1 billion. PND
