Duterte raises drug threat as he urges WEF audience to invest in youth 

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday brought up the threat of illegal drugs as he urged ASEAN economies to invest in the youth during the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Duterte reminded his audience, which included prime ministers from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, about the potential of the ASEAN youth and their vulnerability to illegal drugs.

"The ASEAN youth are among the best and are most creative, intelligent, and innovative in the world. We must empower them to be the best version of themselves," he said.

"But we cannot turn a blind eye on the scourge of illegal drugs that threatens our youth and the future of our societies," Duterte added. "We need to take a committed stand to dismantle and destroy the illegal drugs trade apparatus. We must reaffirm our commitment to realize a drug-free ASEAN community."

Duterte said investing in the human capital should be a priority considering that ASEAN was turning into an economic powerhouse with its young population.

"Most importantly, we should invest in human capital. Analysts point out that the Philippines, together with Southeast Asian countries, is a demographic sweet spot and is likely to post Asia’s fastest economic growth rates in the coming years,” he said.

"The youth is certainly a key sector that we must invest in. The ASEAN Work Plan on Youth 2016-2020 encourages youth entrepreneurship, employment, and employability awareness, volunteerism, and resilience. The plan deserves our full support," he added.

Duterte's war on drugs has been criticized locally and internationally, with human rights advocates linking it to thousands of killings of drug suspects, either by the police or by vigilantes emboldened by his rhetoric about ridding the country of pushers. —KBK, GMA News