Duterte would check if PDEA has made a dent vs. drug problem after 6 months

                         With the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) taking over the anti-illegal drug operations, President Duterte is planning to check if the agency has made a dent against the drug problem six months from now.

         

               The President said he has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to let PDEA combat the drug menace after being heavily criticized for the alleged soaring extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of drug suspects.

                          “Sabi ko sa mga pulis, ‘Huwag kayo makialam diyan. Mga sundalo, huwag kayong makialam diyan. Customs, police, huwag kayong makialam diyan. Huwag — lahat walang makialam, PDEA lang.’ O sige, tingnan natin, six months from now (I told the police not to interfere. I told the solders, customs and policemen not to interfere. Nobody will intervene. It will only be PDEA. Okay, let us see six months from now),” Duterte said during his visit to Cagayan de Oro on Friday.

                          If PDEA is unable to neutralize the drug threat, the President challenged anew western critics to try to solve the country’s drug problem if they can.

                         “Ngayon, pagkalumabo na naman ito, sabihan ko itong mga unggoy na ‘to, ‘Bumalik kayo dito, solbahin ninyo ang problema namin. Kayo ‘yung madaldal, pagka hindi ninyo nasolba diyan, tutuliin ko kayo uli (Now, if it the situation gets worse, I’ll tell these monkeys, ‘Hey come back, solve our problem since you’re all talkative. If you cannot solve that, I will circumcise all of you again),” the tough-talking leader said.

                          Duterte claimed that foreigners critical of the drug war have merely accepted the reported number of EJKs without “being circumspect.” He said they have not even bothered to verify such information peddled by the left and the “yellow” forces.

                        “‘Yun lang ang binabasa nila (They’re just reading) that there were 10,000 extrajudicial killings. They don’t really bother to ask ‘yung the other side of it,” he said.

                         Without the police and military involvement in the anti-drug efforts, the President admitted he was uncertain if the drug situation would be resolved.

                          “Whether it will get worse or better, I simply do not have the answer,” Duterte said.

                          “You have to cope with the 2,000-strong PDEA… Kung hindi ko na kaya, sinong makakaya nito? (If I cannot do it, who can do it?)” he asked.

                          Despite criticisms on his drug war, the President is determined to enforce the law without fear or favor in a bid to protect the nation from the drug threat.

                        “When I took my oath of office, I said, ‘I will protect the people and preserve this country, the Republic. And I will go against all criminals without fear or favor and enforce it equally,” he said.