PRESIDENT Duterte welcomes Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to Malacanang. (Jansen Romero)
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is willing to emulate President Duterte’s relentless crackdown on illegal drugs and crimes to address the same problem his home country.
In his state visit to Manila, Sirisena acknowledged there has been a proliferation of illegal drugs in Sri Lanka and lauded Duterte’s strategy in fighting such menace.
“The war against crime and drugs carried out by you is an example to the whole world and personally to me,” he said during the state dinner hosted by Duterte in Malacañang Wednesday night.
“Drug menace is rampant in my country and I feel that we should follow your footsteps to control this hazard,” he added.
The two leaders earlier held bilateral talks in Malacañang and agreed to enhance cooperation on defense and military, education, agriculture and fisheries, and tourism.
They also agreed to explore other areas of corruption such as migrant workers’ protection, disaster response, and maritime security.
Duterte, speaking to reporters after the meeting with the Sri Lankan leader, said the Philippines considers Sri Lanka a “partner” in addressing illegal drug trafficking and human smuggling and other challenges.
“We both recognized that the proliferation of illegal drugs is a threat to our nations and peoples and to the very fabric of our growing societies,” he said.
At the state dinner, Duterte said the five agreements signed between the two countries indicated “our resolve to reinvigorate our ties.”
“As we look back on our shared past, we look forward to a future of significant broadening and deepening of our ties; in trade and investments; defense and security; agriculture; tourism; education; culture; and people-to-people exchanges,” he said.
Duterte said he and Sirisena were “planting the seeds of relations that promise to grow in the coming years.”
“We nurture these seeds to ensure that generations after us will harvest the fruits of greater peace, progress, and prosperity,” he said.
Duterte also said he considers Sirisena as “a true friend of the Philippines.” He noted that Sirisena visited the country several times, including Metro Manila, Laguna, and Davao. His interests then were in agriculture.
“On this his return trip today from the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’ to the ‘Pearl of the Orient Seas,’ President Sirisena’s interests have clearly broadened, and his appreciation for the importance of Philippines-Sri Lanka ties greatly heightened,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
