Duterte to meet governors after taking up war on drugs with mayors

President Rodrigo Duterte will meet with the country's provincial governors on Thursday to take up the country's problem of illegal drugs.

The meeting will come days after the Chief Executive met with mayors also in connection with his ongoing war against drugs.

A report by Raffy Tima on "Balitanghali" on Tuesday said that in a meeting with businessmen in Davao City, Duterte said he planned to tell the governors to engage local government units in their respective provinces to crack down on illegal drugs.

Duterte has repeatedly said that the country already has a problem with narco politics.

Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara, the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, said he didn't know of any governor involved in illegal drugs but added that Duterte sent his message quite clearly.

"Sa governors wala naman ako naririnig na involved sa illegal drugs. The point is it's difficult para malaman mo lahat yun because we are more than 80," Bichara said said in an interview also on "Balitanghali."

"Ito stern warning na ni presidente, that's already calling their attention, kung merong gumagawa tigilan nila yan dahil makakabangga nila diyan yung presidente mismo," he added.

Bichara said that before the meeting, Duterte will administer the oaths of the chairmen of the Regional Peace and Order Councils.

"[Ang] unang gagawin daw eh oath-taking [ng] mga chairman ng regional peace and order council, so ibig sabihin noon we will discuss the issues related sa peace and order. Siyempre ang main agenda dun eh yung sa illegal drugs pareho nung nasabi n'ya dun sa mga mayors kasi yun naman talaga ang battle cry n'ya," the governor said.

Duterte had an "intimate, highly confidential" meeting with more than 1,000 mayors in Malacañang to talk about the illegal drug trade last week.

Bichara said Duterte needed the support of all local chief executives in his war on drugs.

"I think the president really needs the support of the local chief executives hindi lang ang mayors, pati yung governors... siyempre kailangan din yung civilian support ng PNP," Bichara said.

"We raised that concern also to the president, hindi lang dapat ito kilalanin kung hindi dapat kasama rin yung civilian resources," he added.

Bichara said that there were no drug laboratories in his province.

"Karamihan dito yung mga users. Wala naman manufacturer dito. Siguro may mga pushers... yung iba matagal na sigurong gumagamit kaya nagiging addicts," Bichara said.

He added the Albay local government was focused on rehabilitating drug users in the early stage of their drug dependence.

"Pag sobrang addictive na e mahirap na i-rehab yung mga ganong tao kasi affected na yung brains nila. The most we can do here is to save yung mga nag-uumpisa pa lang through the rehab center," Bichara said. —with a report from Michael Jaucian/Joseph Tristan Roxas/NB/ALG, GMA News