Malacañang: No stopping of drug wars under PDEA!

                       Malacañang has said that the government campaign against drugs continues under the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

It slammed human rights group Amnesty International for criticizing the transfer of authority from the Philippine National Police to the PDEA and calling it as a mere public relations stunt to appease growing opposition.

                      Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the PDEA has become the new object of the ire and vilification of AI and similar groups.
“The PDEA, which has been recently assigned as the sole agency in charge of the anti-illegal drug campaign, is now being demonized by Amnesty International,” Abella said in a statement.

                   “While Amnesty International is known to be disparaging of the frontline role of the PNP in the anti-illegal drug campaign, now it sees the relief of the agency as a mere public relations stunt,” he added. The Palace official said this will not stop the Duterte administration from pursuing the campaign to eradicate narcotics in the country.
“Nevertheless, the government will proceed in its drive to make the Philippines a crime, corruption, and illegal drug-free nation,” he said.

                   “We are hopeful that operations of this agency will not be jeopardized by the interference of outside agencies that fail to appreciate our desire, not for a drug-tolerant, but drug-free nation,” he added. Duterte has signed a memorandum naming PDEA “as the sole agency” conducting anti-illegal drugs campaign and operations.

                    The AI said that this would have little impact and noted how Duterte pulled out the PNP from the drug war in January due to the alleged killing of South Korean business Jee Ick-Joo by some members of the PNP inside Camp Crame in Quezon City.

                   “We are concerned that this too may be nothing but a short-term PR move in response to growing public outrage about the drug war’s many victims, which are overwhelmingly poor, and include children,” AI said. Malacanang said that Duterte decided the transfer to “accommodate” critics.