Ex-prez Duterte: Executive Dep’t must issue ‘very strong’ statement vs. illegal drugs

The Executive Department needs to issue a "concrete and very strong" statement against illegal drugs, former president Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday.

"Well kailangan lang ng kaunting concrete and very strong statement coming from the Executive na he will protect you when you do it right and he will crush you if you do it wrong," Duterte  said in a Facebook live with Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.

"Dalawa lang naman ‘yan: tama o mali. Mamili kayo. [Kung] doon kayo sa mali, madisgrasya kayo. Dito sa tama, maligaya kayong lahat. Ako po’y hindi na presidente pero ganunpaman, nagwa-warning ako sa inyo," he added.

Duterte was responding to Cayetano's remark that the police must be reminded to continue their campaign against drugs.

"Paalala sa lahat 'di ba, lalo na sa pulis, ituloy ang laban sa droga. Medyo bumabalik-balik nang kaunti, boss," Cayetano said, addressing Duterte.

GMA News Online sought Malacañang's comment on Duterte's remarks but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

In December last year, Senator Ronald dela Rosa delivered a privilege speech claiming that drug syndicates are back "with a vengeance."

Dela Rosa, a former Davao City police director, was Duterte's first PNP chief, appointed on his first day in office and serving in the position until 2018.

He was at the forefront of the administration's war on drugs throughout much of Duterte's term.

Weeks after Dela Rosa's speech, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr.  asked generals and full colonels in the Philippine National Police (PNP) to submit their courtesy resignation as part of the government's efforts to rid the police force of officers involved in the illegal drug trade.

The International Criminal Court recently authorized the reopening of the inquiry into former President Duterte's drug war, saying it was "not satisfied  that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the court's investigations.”

Government records showed that at least 6,200 drug suspects were killed in police operations from June 2016 until November 2021.

Several human rights groups claimed the actual death toll is around 12,000 to 30,000. — BM, GMA Integrated News