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Thursday, March 28, 2024

‘Focal person’ to oversee drug war

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A NEW “focal person” has been designated by President Rodrigo Duterte to oversee efforts in clearing up the bad image of his bloody war on drugs, which saw thousands killed since he took office last year. 

In Presidential Directive No. 5, Duterte named Aurora Ignacio, currently assistant secretary for Special Projects under the Office of the President, as the new focal person on the drug war, who shall “receive inquiries or clarifications and provide the necessary intervention on matters pertaining to the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.”

“A sec Ignacio has been designated by PRRD as focal person to ensure that those offering assistance to the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign are immediately acted upon or referred to the concerned agencies,” the Palace said in a statement 

“The directive also mandates Ignacio to ensure that those offering assistance to the anti-illegal drugs campaign are immediately accommodated,” it added. 

Also appointed by Duterte is comedian Marco Antonio Ho, known by his screen name “Bogart the Explorer” as board member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board. 

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Ho rose to fame on YouTube as Bogart the Explorer, a character that parodies the late Australian nature show host Steve Irwin. He hails from the same city as President Duterte, and currently co-hosts the TV5 travel show Lakbai with Duterte’s son Sebastian.

Latest Philippine National Police data show 3,200 drug personalities were killed in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to June 20, 2017, or nine killed daily in presumed legitimate anti-drug operations in the first year of the Duterte administration. 

The PNP has also determined that out of the 12,833 homicide cases from July 1, 2016 to June 16, 2017, 2,098 deaths were drug-related and 2,535 non-drug related. A total of 8,200 homicide cases were under investigation “with motives to be determined,” the PNP said.

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