MANILA Mayor Joseph E. Estrada urged his fellow local government executives to rally behind President Duterte’s war against illegal drugs. He also supported the call to boycott local officials involved in narcotics trade in the coming polls.
According to him, the multibillion-peso illegal-drugs industry must be destroyed at all cost, especially now that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections are just a couple of months away, while the midterm elections are set for next year.
“President Duterte needs the support of every one in ridding the menace of illegal drugs in the country,” Estrada said.
He noted that local officials, especially the mayors, could help a lot in solving this perennial problem that is also considered as one of the root causes of peace and order issues at present.
Government data revealed that more and more public servants are becoming involved in the proliferation of illegal substances nationwide.
Based on figures from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, there are about 9,000 barangay officials who are directly engaged in the narcotics trade.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), on the other hand, reported that 143 village chiefs and 146 village councilors are “narco-politicians.”
Seeing these figures as “very disturbing,” Estrada agreed with PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino, who claimed “that these barangay officials do not deserve our votes.”
With this in mind, he ordered Manila Police District Chief Supt. Napoleon Coronel to closely monitor the drug personalities who might finance the candidates in the coming barangay elections.
“At this point of time, we should already watch out for those candidates who will be supported by drug lords,” he stressed, while urging the public not to vote these narco-politicians.
“We must win the war today; not tomorrow. Let’s save the future—our children and the youth,” he added.
Even prior to Duterte’s election in 2016, Estrada’s commitment to combat the problem on illegal drugs already started when he assumed the mayoralty office of the coutry’s capital in 2013, through the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (Dare) program.
With this initiative, all Manila public elementary and high schools have been very successful in creating awareness in students and the public about the evils of illegal drugs.
Currently, Estrada serves as the chairman of Dare Philippines, with more than 1.5 million schoolchildren taking the short course.
“For the sake of the communities we serve, and the next generation to come, we must all work together in order to win the war against illegal drugs,” he said.