Bato dela Rosa urges local execs, public to help PDEA in war vs. drugs

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday urged local chief executives and the public to help the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Enganyuhin ko ‘yung local chief executives, lalo na mga barangay, community, at taumbayan na tulungan ang PDEA para magawa nila ito. Kung walang tulong sa community mahirap talaga ito,” Dela Rosa said in an interview on radio dzBB.

“Sana this is the right time for the people to show na kayang  talunin ang problema sa droga. Magkaisa tayo,” he added.

He said the absence of the PNP in the campaign would surely cause vacuum.

“Kung hindi natin kinaya, with 185,000-strong na PNP, ano ang mangyayari sa vacuum na maiiwan namin. Papalitan kami ng 1,700 (personnel) ng PDEA,” he said.

PDEA director general Aaron Aquino earlier said they still need the PNP in their operations.

“Didn’t ask for it. I still need the PNP [Philippine National Police]. I have only more than a thousand agents,” Aquino said.

The PNP chief said President Rodrigo Duterte talked to him about his order to make PDEA the lead agency in the fight against illegal drugs.

“Nag-usap kami diyan at sabi niya pahinga muna kayo dahil maraming nagki-criticize sa ating war on drugs. PDEA na lang ang magtrabaho,” Dela Rosa recalled his conversation with the President.

Asked if he consider the President’s decision as a welcome development, he said it goes both ways.

“From my perspective, nasasayangan ako dahil sa mga na-establish na namin pero OK na rin sa akin para matutukan namin ang problema sa kriminalidad at para makapagrelax na rin kami,” he said. — Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News