Amid positive survey result, Nograles says war on drugs' momentum must continue

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Monday said the momentum of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs should continue especially after a survey showed that more Filipinos believe that the number of drug users has decreased.

"It is important for us to continue the momentum," Nograles said during a forum in Quezon City.

"Nakikita namin na itong mga indicators na ito maganda yung mga resulta na nakikita so kailangan lang na ipagpatuloy natin  at i-enhance pa natin."

A survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted in December last year showed that 66 percents of Filipino adults believe the number drug addicts in their area has decreased over the past year.

"We feel that when the survey was measured, the pulse of the people, in that particular moment in their neighborhood, when you compare it to the previous periods, they see the decline of drug addicts," Nograles, a former lawmaker, said.

Nograles said the survey result validates the effectiveness of the efforts of the administration..

Most Filipinos, Nograles said, are happy to see not only the decline of drug users or pushers in their areas but also the changes in their lives.

“Marami sa kababayan natin ang natutuwa na halos nakikita nila sa paligid nila nawawala yung mga puhers na noon pasiga-siga sa mga kalsada. Hindi natatakot,” he said.

“Ngayon na itong mga siga sa kalsada, yung mga pushers yung mga may drug den ay unti-unting nawawala,” Nograles added.

Human rights organizations, both local and international, have condemned the Duterte administration's war on drugs due to the high death toll of drug suspects, which is already in the thousands. —KBK, GMA News