Lacson says something is wrong in govt’s anti-drug, corruption drive

Senator Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday that something is wrong when President Rodrigo Duterte is very vocal against corruption and illegal drugs, yet these problems still continue.

“With PRRD’s (Duterte’s initials) very strong position and oft-repeated threats against corruption and illegal drugs, the twin scourge seem to continue to persist. Something must be wrong somewhere,” Lacson said in a Twitter post.

The Duterte administration has adopted a bloody strategy in its fight against illegal drugs with a number of the suspected drug suspects killed in the police operations.

The President also sacked several of his appointees whom he claimed were involved in corruption.

On Tuesday, Lacson said Duterte is still the best person to lead the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs despite the latter’s statement that he wanted to cede his law enforcement power to Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Unless he delegates a blanket authority, including the power to hire and fire, no one else in the government bureaucracy can do it better than the Chief Executive under any other given circumstances,” said Lacson, a former Philippine National Police chief.

‘Interesting’

As of posting time, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo has yet to reply to GMA News Online’s text message for the Palace’s reaction.

But Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. replied to the senator’s tweet, describing it as interesting.

“Interesting. Maybe we're not killing enough of the right guys to kill. What do you think? I think rogue cops should get the same treatment they dish out. What do you think? It is a population control measure, at least,” said Locsin.

Lacson answered that cutting small branches makes plants produce small twigs that grow into more branches.

“Kill the plants that supply the lifeline of those twigs and branches. The strategy shift might work,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News