No matter how the questions were rephrased, the President stuck to his guns in his replies on his much criticized campaign against illegal drugs. For a man who made a campaign vow to bring genuine change in the country, it may come strange. For his new year's resolution, President Rodrigo Duterte promises no change in his administration's offensive campaign against illegal drugs. President Duterte though already publicly declared "sorry for the unintended" killing of innocent by-standers in his administration's deadly war against illegal drugs. But President Duterte vows to continue the anti-drug campaign despite the alleged extra-judicial killing controversies that hounded him in his first six months into office. [continues 1002 words]
But "meth," or methamphetamine hydrochloride, short for shabu, is something else, the President pointed out. Shabu addicts were initially described as the "living dead" by President Rodrigo Duterte when he made an impassioned speech last week in defense of his administration's deadly literally campaign against illegal drugs. A few days later, President Duterte called these shabu dependents as the "walking dead" in our midst. Perhaps, the President was able to watch last week the first episode of the popular "Walking Dead" TV series now being locally carried at TV5 every Thursday night. "Walking Dead" is a fictional apocalyptic weekly series in US setting where zombies, or the undead, prey and feed upon human beings. [continues 962 words]
Our attention has been focused much in the currently raging controversies surrounding the drug buy-bust operations where three so-called "Alabang boys" were caught while peddling shabu and party pop pills "ecstasy" to agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Public rage was aroused by the controversies that ranged from alleged bribery attempt by one of the families of the "Alabang boys" to PDEA agents as well as allegations of a P50-million bribe purportedly behind the reason for the dismissal of the case as recommended by certain Department of Justice (DOJ) state prosecutors. [continues 962 words]
President Arroyo hailed yesterday Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for waging his own campaign against the illegal drugs trade and cited the killing "with extreme prejudice" of six suspects in the drug bust on New Year's Eve in Davao City was part of the all out war against local and international syndicates operating in the Philippines. The President singled out Duterte for taking the lead among local government officials in doing his part to boost the national campaign against illegal drugs in the country. [continues 157 words]
President Arroyo vowed no letup in her administration's war against the flourishing shabu trade as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) busted yet another large shabu laboratory in Valenzuela City yesterday. The President motored all the way to an abandoned warehouse in Villa Liwayway Subdivision in Valenzuela where PDEA agents found 147 drums of chemicals used in manufacturing shabu, shabu-making equipment and six sacks labeled as sodium acetate which contain crystalline substance. The PDEA estimated that the confiscated materials were enough to manufacture 3,000 kilos of shabu worth P7.5 billion. Its street value was pegged at P2.5 million per kilo. [continues 172 words]
President Arroyo ordered the Department of Education yesterday to restore the teaching of catechism in public schools nationwide. Speaking at the first anniversary celebration of the Philippine National Police anti-drug task force, Mrs. Arroyo said she was concerned that values formation was no longer part of the public school curriculum. "I have found out in my going around the country and putting up day care centers... that we no longer have religious instructions in public schools," she said. Mrs. Arroyo said she taught catechism to grade school students when she was in high school at the Assumption Convent. [continues 229 words]
The first 10,000 public utility drivers who volunteer for drug tests before securing or renewing their licenses at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will not be charged a fee, President Arroyo announced yesterday. Mrs. Arroyo hoped that the free drug tests at LTO-accredited centers would encourage the drivers "to set a good example" for their peers who might be using illegal drugs to keep themselves awake while plying their trade. However, public utility drivers who choose not to avail themselves of the offer will still be given a discount. [continues 355 words]
Authorities will publish the names of known drug traffickers and their protectors in government to unmask them and deny them freedom of movement "under cloak of legitimacy." President Arroyo vowed yesterday she would be "relentless and all-encompassing" in her month-old campaign to rid the country of drug traffickers. "The intelligence community maintains a list of the most notorious drug lords and their coddlers," she said in a statement. "That list will be disclosed in due time as information is gathered on these personalities." [continues 297 words]
President Arroyo will wait for Congress to finish its review of the death penalty law before deciding whether to order the execution of convicted drug traffickers and kidnappers, Palace officials said yesterday. "As far as illegal drugs and kidnapping, she has kept her options open on this matter," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said. "But she still has to have consultations on the matter." Mrs. Arroyo earlier said she was "prepared to exercise utmost political will" -- including executions -- to win her administration's renewed campaign against illegal drugs and kidnappings. [continues 530 words]
Communist New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas are now turning to drug trafficking to fund their rebellion, President Arroyo said yesterday. "There is a strong link between terrorism and drug syndicates," Mrs. Arroyo said in her weekly radio message. "The war against drugs is a war against terrorists and vice versa." Mrs. Arroyo said authorities have found marijuana plantations operated by the NPA but she didn't speculate whether the NPA is also involved in the more lucrative trade of peddling or manufacturing shabu. [continues 695 words]
This is no ningas cogon. President Arroyo directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday to sustain the conduct of the renewed campaign against illegal drugs. "Let us avoid the ningas cogon (brush fire) syndrome and for once, make this (anti-illegal drug) campaign a genuine legacy to our future generations," Mrs. Arroyo said. Taking note of the numerous arrests made, Mrs. Arroyo said the renewed crackdown against illegal drugs "is just the beginning of a continuous campaign that will cut across all affected sectors and communities." [continues 428 words]
In her second State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday, President Arroyo read the riot act to all "enemies of the State" as she declared that crushing all forms of terrorism and criminality would lay the foundations of her "strong Republic." "I am determined to build a strong Republic by breaking the back of terrorism and criminality," the President said in her SONA delivered before a joint session of the 12th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City. The President, said winning the war against poverty through job creation is closely linked to the war against terrorism. [continues 1820 words]
President Arroyo formally asked yesterday opposition Sen. Vicente Sotto III to "oversee" the creation of the new Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), a move expected to draw howls of protests from certain quarters questioning the senator's alleged links to suspected drug lords. The President clarified that Sotto need not resign from the Senate just to help the government wage a vigorous war against illegal drugs. Mrs. Arroyo maintained that her offer has nothing to do with any attempts to break the impasse at the Senate with the opposition and the ruling party memberships tied at 12 each. [continues 792 words]
Smugglers will be confronted "crime by crime, criminal by criminal." And they will be charged with economic sabotage, a non-bailable offense punishable by death. President Arroyo vowed yesterday to get tough on smuggling, directing Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo to present an "order of battle" against suspected big-time smugglers. The President revealed her directives to Bernardo a day after she presided over an anti-smuggling summit on Tuesday at the Philippine Ports Authority building at Manila's South Harbor. Among those who attended the summit were Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza and Bernardo. [continues 916 words]
