Anti-drug campaign will be sustained in last year of Duterte’s term, Año says

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año on Wednesday expressed confidence that the government's anti-drug efforts can be sustained in the last 12 months of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

At the Pre-SONA media launch virtual presser, Año said that the Duterte administration already institutionalized the anti-drug campaign.

“Tayo ay kampante na masu-sustain itong kampanya against illegal drugs [We are confident that the campaign against illegal drugs will be sustained],” he said.

He cited the creation of Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD), drug abuse rehabilitation program Bahay Kalinga, and the drug abuse council on the provincial to barangay level.

According to Año, at least 21,891 of 42,000 barangays have been cleared as drug-free barangays. Authorities have arrested 289,622 suspects including 12,089 high-value targets, he said.

At least 757 drug dens were also dismantled, he added, and at least P58.21 billion worth of illegal drugs were also seized.

“Masasabi naman natin na maraming accomplishment ang nagawa ng ating administration [We can say that we have many accomplishments that were done by our administration],” Año said.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) called on the supposed victims of Duterte’s war on drugs to submit their views, concerns, and expectations regarding the possible probe.

On June 14, as one of her final acts in the position, then-ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked for authorization to open a full investigation into the drug war killings in the Philippines, saying crimes against humanity could have been committed.

Based on Philippine government data, from the time President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 until the end of April this year, security forces have killed 6,117 suspected drug dealers in sting operations.

Rights groups say authorities have summarily executed people and that the death toll is much higher, while the police maintain that those killed in police operations had fought back.

Malacañang has repeatedly said Duterte and the government would not cooperate in any ICC investigation, claiming lack of jurisdiction. — BM, GMA News