MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday stated that he would conduct a meeting with his successor to tackle the drug problem which continues to affect the country.
In his prerecorded Talk to the People broadcasted on Tuesday morning, Duterte said he would ask the next president of the country to continue his anti-drug campaign because many drug offenders are still on the loose.
“I hope to… ‘Pag makausap ko pagkatapos ng elections and a new presidential shall have been elected, I said there is a time for us, me to bring, invite him dito. Ito siguro ang sasabihin ko sa kanya, patayin mo talaga itong mga (After elections and once a new president is elected, I said there is a time for us to meet. I will invite him to bring [up the drug problem]. This is perhaps what I will tell him, ‘Kill those [drug offenders]),” Duterte said.
Duterte released the statement after Interior Secretary Eduardo Año reported that 1,775 kg of shabu and 421.5 kg of marijuana worth PHP13.2 billion were confiscated during anti-drug operations from March 6 to 19.
In a meeting with Duterte and select Cabinet officials at Malacañang Palace in Manila on Monday night, Año said about 2,471 individuals have been arrested, while two others have died during the operations.
“Ito po ang pinakamalaking nahuli sa entire Philippine history in one time na pagkakasakote sa illegal drugs. At patuloy pa rin po nating paiigtingin ang ating kampanya laban sa illegal drugs Mr. President sapagkat gusto po nating tuluy-tuloy ito upang siguruhing ligtas ang ating mga kababayan sa masamang dulot ng illegal na droga (The seized illegal drugs are the biggest haul in the entire Philippine history in one time. And we will continue to intensify our campaign against illegal drugs, Mr. President, because we want to keep our countrymen safe from the scourge of illegal drugs),” Año said.
Duterte concurred with Año and directed the continuation of the war on illegal drugs.
“Let us go and look for them. Hunt them down,” Duterte said. “This [drug problem] will continue. Drugs will haunt us today, tomorrow and malayo pa ang (and it is far [from over]).”
Duterte reaffirmed that the drug problem continues to pose a threat to public safety, emphasizing that it will continue to generate “multiple problems” since illegal drugs cause users to become “insane”.
“Ang problema nito, it induces insanity sa mga tao. Ito, papatay na naman. Kapag walang pera, mag-hold up, lahat na. Multiple ang problema dito (The problem here is it induces insanity among users. They might kill and hold up people. There will be multiple problems here),” he said.
Duterte expressed optimism on February 28 that his successor would continue his anti-drug campaign, stating that he was very concerned about the drug problem’s resurgence.
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