The supply issue cannot be everything in the war on drugs, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Tuesday.
“There must be a relentless DEMAND reduction strategy, Sotto said in his Facebook account.
In other developments:
• The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Tuesday rewarded its four operating units with P7,594,992.24 for their anti-drug operations.
Director general Aaron Aquino handed the rewards to the Special Enforcement Service, Intelligence and Investigation Service, National Capital Region Unit and Regional Office 3 at the PDEA national headquarters in Quezon City.
“These PDEA operating units received cash rewards under PDEA Operation Lawmen,” an incentive program for law enforcers or members of the anti-illegal drug units/teams or task forces, including the support unit/s after the conduct of laudable anti-drug operations,” Aquino said.
• A total of 554 officers and employees from Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office voluntarily submitted themselves to a drug test Monday in support of President Rodrigo Duterte ’s fight against illegal drugs and to show the world the PCSO is a drug-free government agency, general manager Alexander Balutan said in a statement on Tuesday.
The test was administered to 54 employees from San Marcelino, 398 employees from the main office, and 102 employees from the Lung Center of the Philippines in compliance with the Civil Service.
Sotto said even if illegal drugs such as shabu, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and designer drugs were removed and destroyed, drug dependents would always find another drug to abuse.
He said cough syrups, contact cement, nubaine and regulated and over-the-counter drugs could also be abused by drug dependents.
“Therefore, Supply reduction and Demand reduction is the answer!” Sotto said.
But Senator Aquilino Pimentel III said he would concentrate on supply.
“Go after those manufacturing and/or importing drugs into our country. Go after these big shots! Prevent the importation, manufacture, and distribution of illegal drugs in our country. Go after these syndicates,” Pimentel said.
He said the users of illegal drugs were violating the law.
“But why are the drugs affordable? Affordable even to students who don’t have income? Even to public school students who are supposed to be coming from not-so-well-to-do families,” Pimentel said.
“Who is flooding the community with drugs? Don’t we even care to know who is responsible for this? The effort should be to go after these syndicates and big-time people involved in the illegal drug trade. Attack the supply of drugs.”
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joel Villanueva favored the proposal for a mandatory drug test on all public officials instead of grade 4 students.
Gatchalian said public officials must subject themselves to mandatory drug testing.
The drug test should be done to the President down to village officials.
Villanueva said the public office is a public trust, so it is just right to subject to
mandatory drug testing all public officials.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he’s amenable to the conduct of drug tests on all public officials.
“They should start with [President Rodrigo] Duterte because he is always high when he talks and thinks,” Trillanes said. With Rio N. Araja