PDEA chief says PRRD can be anti-drug consultant

MANILA —  According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, President Duterte can be an asset for the incoming administration of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a consultant in the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign after his term.

With Duterte’s vast experience in the fight against illegal drugs, PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva said, the Chief Executive could still play a major role in government after he steps down from office on June 30.

“He can be a good consultant for the anti-drug campaign,” Villanueva said in a press conference yesterday.

As the architect of the war on drugs, he noted that Duterte has full knowledge on how to address the country’s drug problem.

Villanueva mentioned that the barangay drug-clearing program implemented during the term of former president Gloria Mapacagal-Arroyo was based on Duterte’s recommendations when he was still Davao City mayor.

“So you could just imagine, in the time of President Arroyo, he was already a consultant,” he said.

Villanueva emphasized that with 10,410 barangays still affected by illegal drugs, it is important to continue the war on drugs during Marcos’ term.

Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. said Duterte should be given a time to take a break before taking any role in government.

“Let us give him time to rest also,” he said.

Meanwhile. Danao dared human rights activists yesterday who continue to criticize President Duterte’s war on illegal drugs to “take up arms and try to arrest drug suspects themselves.”

Danao dared Duterte’s detractors to go to the frontlines of the anti-illegal drugs campaign and risk their lives just like police anti-narcotics officers.

“They should go first. I am challenging them now, go first. Arm yourselves with guns,” he said in English and Filipino during a joint press conference with the PDEA in Cavite.

Danao also dared human rights activists to also look at the deaths of at least 800 police officers in the drug war.

“You are protecting criminals but the police, men in uniform, you can’t even hear anything from them,” he said.

Danao prefers seeing drug pushers and criminals dead instead of police officers.

“I would rather see a criminal, a pusher, drug lord, lying on the ground than my PNP officers,” he said.