In a statement on Thursday, acting Presidential Spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte’s recent remarks on the illegal drug trade in the country underscores “the depth, the magnitude and the complexity of the problem which was unknown to him when he was a presidential candidate.”
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 28) — President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that he was wrong to think that he could end the illegal drug trade in the country in three to six months, one of his campaign promises in 2016 elections.
He said Malacañang affirms the Duterte administration’s efforts to combat illegal drugs remain unparalleled for its numerous achievements.
“When I became president, ganito sabi ko (this is what I said), ‘I can clean it in six months.’ And after that, I realized, nagkamali talaga ako (I was really wrong),” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway in Cordova, Cebu on Wednesday.
He also admitted that rich drug users are difficult to track as they live in mansions secured by guards and even provide drugs to policemen.
“Maybe it was campaign time. Payabangan na naman ng kampanya. Pagdating ko sa Maynila, dala ko ‘yung chief of police ko, si Bato (Dela Rosa)…Nung binuksan ko na ‘yung records…six generals of the Philippine National Police were playing with drugs. Sabi ko, paano tayo mabubuhay nito?” he said.
[Translation: Maybe it was campaign time. All were boasting in their campaigns. When I arrived in Manila, I brought my chief of police with me, Bato. When the records were opened, six generals of the PNP were playing with drugs. I said, how can we live like this?]
“Ang pulis, imbis magtrabaho, nabibigyan rin. It destroys the fabric of society,” he added.
[Translation: The policemen, instead of working, are also given drugs.]
READ: Duterte explains: Why the rich are beyond reach of drug war
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/08/24/Duterte-why-rich-beyond-reach-drug-war.html
Duterte also urged the New People’s Army (NPA) to back down.
“Kayong mga NPA, kayong mga durugista, you want peace? Magtrabaho ka lang, then drop the gun. Kayong mga durugista, drop the drugs. Itapon mo yan at wala ka talagang problema sa akin,” he said.
[Translation: Members of the NPA, you want peace? Just work, then drop the gun. Drug users, drop the drugs. Throw that away and you will not have problem with me.]
“Pinapatay mo talaga, eh. Sisirain mo ‘yung mga pamilya, maghiwalay. It breaks the family, it destroys everything.”
[Translation: You are really killing it. You destroy the family, separate them.]
When Duterte ran for president in 2016, he promised to eradicate the illegal drug trade and corruption in the country in three to six months upon taking office. When he became president, he spearheaded a war against illegal drugs which reportedly resulted in extrajudicial killings, drawing flak from human rights advocates.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ordered the probe on the drug war, but Malacañang said it has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
READ: ICC calls for information, concerns from PH drug war victims
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/6/15/ICC-prosecutor-permission-probe-drug-war-.html
The ICC suspended its investigation on the war on drugs in November 2021 after the Philippines requested the tribunal to defer its probe, saying that the national government was looking into the details of the deaths.
READ: ICC temporarily halts PH drug war probe
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/11/19/ICC-temporarily-suspends-probe-on-Duterte-drug-war.html
“The Palace, thus, maintains that the Duterte Administration’s campaign against illegal drugs remains unprecedented as it is able to produce significant accomplishments in the number of drugs seized, dens and clandestine laboratories dismantled as well as drug-cleared barangays,” the statement read.
It said the anti-drug campaign has seized a total value of P63.43 billion or 9,915 kilograms of shabu from July 1, 2016 to Feb. 28, 2022, and a total of 1,075 dens and clandestine laboratories were dismantled, and 24,379 barangays were cleared.
Additionally, 229,868 anti-illegal drug operations were conducted with a total of 331,694 individuals arrested.
Meanwhile, 6,606 barangays were unaffected or remained drug-free, it added.
