THE Philippine National Police may retake the lead in the campaign against illegal drugs if the number of drug-related cases rises, President Rodrigo Duterte said Sunday.
He reiterated his commitment to rid the country of illegal drugs in his arrival speech from Vietnam, where he joined the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit 2017.
“I don’t like drugs,” Duterte told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
He also said that, aside from supervising the police, he wanted Interior Undersecretary Eduardo Año to investigate mayors and governors for corruption.
“When I see you are making things difficult or you allow corruption to thrive in your locality, then as mayor or governor, I will order the new Secretary of the DILG, the chief of staff, General Año, to investigate you,” Duterte said.
The police once led the administration’s war against drugs, but in a memorandum signed on Oct. 10, Duterte tasked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to conduct all anti-illegal drug operations.
He cited the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 stating that PDEA should be the lead agency when any investigations of the National Bureau of Investigation, the PNP or other agencies were found in violation of the act.
But Duterte said he was only trying to gauge the improvement he had introduced.
“I have allowed PDEA to have the exclusive. So mawala na ‘yun, nawala na. For the longest time, I haven’t had any talks with the PDEA,” he said.
“Titignan ko lang kung tataas, pagka tataas babalik ang pulis. ‘Pag magbalik ang pulis, ‘yun ang trabaho nila, destroy the drug syndicates.”
Duterte said the police should enforce all measures if and when the authority to lead the war on drugs had been restored to them.
Duterte flew back in time for the arrival of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations who will converge in Manila for the 31st Asean Summit and Related Meetings this week.
He is expected to hold bilateral talks with world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the summit.
Rights groups have urged the world leaders to urge Duterte to stop the killings related to his war on drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said they were not expecting Trump to talk about the Philippines’ drug war with Duterte during their bilateral meeting.