Anti-drug campaign
THE key to addressing the country’s drug menace problem is the active participation of the people, including the ordinary citizens, in the government’s anti-drug campaign.
Without the help of the public, in our view, concerned government authorities may find it very difficult to wipe out drug addiction in this impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
In fact, the drug menace still remains as a major headache of the administration of outgoing President Duterte, who is set to leave Malacanang at 12 noon on June 30.
Note that after assuming the top political post of the land on June 30, 2016, Duterte vowed to wipe out drug addiction, graft and coruption, and criminality in this Third World nation.
Later on, however, the lawyer and hard-hitting Chief Executive from Mindanao found out, to his dismay, that eradicating drug addiction “is better said than done” in the country.
“Hindi nagpabaya ang administrasyon pero talagang malala na ang problema bago pa umupo sa Malakanyang ang dating alkalde ng Davao City,” said a law enforcement official.
The government, through the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), even offered money to tipsters, who provide information that results in successful anti-drug operations.
PDEA, which is headed by Director-General Wilkins Villanueva, a graduate of the elite Philippine Military Academy (PMA), is the law enforcement arm of the Dangerous Drugs Board.
During the first three months of 2022, official records show that PDEA awarded more than P10.2 million in cash to 13 tipsters who were identified only through their codenames.
Thus, we cannot overemphasize the importance of the all-out support of the public in the government’s battle against drug addiction, graft and corruption and criminality.
