Pacquiao to push for reward system for informants, enforcers vs. drug syndicates

BULACAN —Presidential candidate Senator Manny Pacquiao on Tuesday said he would push for a reward system for law enforcers and informants who would bring down big-time narcotics syndicates if he wins in the May elections.

"Ipakulong natin iyong mga mahuhuli, hindi iyong papatayin....Pwede naman nating ituloy ang war on drugs dahil ayaw natin ang droga," Pacquiao said in a media briefing in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan.

(We will imprison those who are caught, but we will not kill them... We can continue the war on drugs because we don't want drugs.)

Pacquiao said President Rodrigo Duterte’s “tokhang” was not enough to minimize the supply of drugs as it was focused on street-level distributors and not the actual sources of illegal drugs.

Pacquiao added that solving the drug problem is more than just sowing fear to drug pushers, but a combination of policy actions in law enforcement and poverty alleviation.

The senator said the reward system will involve giving attractive incentives for successful anti-drug operations involving big-time drug syndicates.

Pacquiao recalled that when he was still a congressman in Saranggani, he helped law enforcement units in facilitating the filing of drug cases against suspected pushers.

"May mga naka-file sa akin between 2011 to 2012, when I was a congressman, marami akong filing at binibigyan ko ng premyo iyong mga may accomplishment na nakakahuli ng drug pusher, mga adik na gumaggamit ng droga. Iyan ay hanggang sa kasalukuyan."

( When I was a congressman, I filed a lot of charges and I gave rewards to those with accomplishment, who caught drug pushers and drug addicts. I'm still doing this up to the present.)

"Huwag natin silang patayin (drug suspects) dahil kawawa naman ang pamilya nilang maiiwan. Naghihirap pa ang mga tao, sayang naman ang buhay nila. Bigyan natin sila ng chance para makapagsimula at makapagbagong buhay," Pacquiao added.

(Let us not kill them because their families will be left behind. People still suffer, their lives are wasted. Let us give them a chance to start anew.)

Pacquiao said the government could reduce the number of street-level drug distributors by providing adequate employment.—LDF, GMA News