Law enforcement agencies in the campaign against illegal drugs have vowed to seriously look into the proposal of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo to rethink and improve the current anti-drugs drive.
This was bared by Robredo on Thursday following her meeting with the law enforcement cluster of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (Icad), which the Vice President cochairs with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“I had a pre-meeting with the OIC PNP chief [Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa] and all other officials assigned in this work. I reiterated my suggestion for them to rethink the campaign, especially ‘Tokhang.’ I also reiterated that it has a negative iteration,” Robredo said.
“They agreed, and they promised to assess and come up with an improved version of what we already have,” she added.
During the meeting, members of the cluster also agreed on the need to have a baseline data on the illegal drugs in the country, as earlier suggested by the Vice President, since the government do not still have an existing “information system” on this area.
Robredo said the baseline information is needed in order to weigh in the campaign’s accomplishment, set the metrics, and even determine the effectivity of the tactics and strategies that were being employed in the anti-illegal drugs drive.
She said the data should reflect the number of drug suspects, or even users, how many of them have been arrested or have surrendered and the current state of their cases. It should also include information on the rehabilitation aspect.
Robredo admitted that the impaired capability of the government makes the battle against illegal drugs an uphill climb, especially that drug syndicates and drug lords have learned to employ technology in their illicit trade.
For one, she noted that drug lords have also been conducting their business by way of mail parcels and online trade.
“Online order has become a trend and those are not being checked,” Robredo said.
Image credits: OVP Photo
2 comments
I hope she’ll work at formulating strategy & tactics based on realities & evidence on the ground and not simply parrot the western liberal elite’s dictates. It’s time Filipinos shake off their centuries-old colonial mentality and stop running to Europeans & Americans for instructions on how to manage their own affairs. Do your own research & use your own mental resources & experiences to formulate your own solutions.
Be bold enough to be your own, and aim to be a global thought leader than a mere follower of the west. Many similarly situated developing country would like to see ideas, concepts, & solutions that’s much more suitable to developing countries’ culture & environment.