BRITISH ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad urged the Duterte administration to suppress the flow of drug money in the country to address the narco-problem more effectively.
Ahmad has discussed a critical yet diplomatic point of view about President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign against alleged drug users and dealers, stressing there are more effective ways to address the issue effectively than wiping out alleged drug users and dealers.
Although the United Kingdom is also facing the same problem and there is no absolute solution in wiping out the drug menace, Ahmad suggested two effective methods to solve the drug addictions and trade business by “choking” the flow of money and the need to send drug suspects to community-based treatment programs rather than prison.
“If you start to address the flow of money, you stop to choke the business,” Ahmad said in an ambush interview during a dinner honoring individuals for their service at the British ambassador residence.
He said that the United Kingdom was also facing the same drug problem.
But it has other methods to prevent drug trade business at home.
The envoy said in UK, under its anti-money laundering law, the country has no bank secrecy among all big players so it is easy to track down the movement of drug money in the market.
He said the UK was somehow able to address the issue in terms of law and order through its intelligence team and through interception.
“Something that the Philippines does not really have which is an ability to track money,” he reiterated.
“If you start to address the flow of money, you stop or choke the business,” the envoy said, adding “that is how you eradicate the drug syndicate.”
Aside from blocking the flow of money in drug trade, Ahmad also urged the Philippines to send those alleged drug users to community-based treatment programs instead of jailing them.