Former President Rodrigo Duterte as the anti-drug czar?
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Duterte’s erstwhile longtime assistant, broached the idea to Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Tuesday during a Senate hearing on the multimillion-peso shabu drug haul last year.
“If ever…. it’s the prerogative of the President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.), the appointing authority, if ever, acan former President Duterte help in case he will be designated as drug czar?” Go asked Acorda in the hearing chaired by Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the police chief in the previous administration.
Acorda said he did not know if he could comment on that “and what will be the setup,” but assured the senators he would be supportive of any decision by President Marcos on the campaign against illegal drugs.
Duterte or the Palace have yet to comment on this possibility as of press time.
Go raised his question after expressing concern that the efforts of the Duterte administration would be put to waste considering the alleged involvement of some cops in the “recycling” of confiscated drugs.
“Let’s not waste what former President Duterte started to fight against illegal drugs. When illegal drugs return, we know that criminality and corruption will return,” he said.
Dela Rosa, who was the first PNP chief of the Duterte administration, also aired his frustration against the cops involved.
He mentioned that his case over the bloody drug war – which government figures said cost over 6,000 lives — has now reached the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“What I feel bad about is that my case has reached the ICC because of our fight against drugs,” Dela Rosa said.
“Despite this, all you think about is money. You are even in a syndicate,” the senator said, adding he could not stomach this happening to the police “where you join a syndicate.”