The country’s law enforcers may conduct “spectacular” raids on drug dens but not all seized illegal drugs are accounted for, President Duterte admitted recently.
The President has raised concern about the alleged pilferage of seized illegal drugs during the government’s anti-drug operations during a recent speech in Malacañang.
“‘Yang mga drugs akala mo spectacular raids ‘yan. Mag-abot ng isang barrel o one ton, huwag kayong maniwala na lahat ‘yan will be accounted for before the proper authorities. May mga maro (clever) talaga diyan — ‘yan kukunan,” he said during the oath-taking of newly elected officials in Malacañang last Tuesday.
Duterte, who previously warned cops against getting involved in drugs and corruption, bewailed that that some seized drugs were recycled and sold in the streets.
“Alam ni Secretary Año ‘yan. Minsan i-report lang ‘yung — a fourth of what they get and recycle ‘yung ano… And the corruption is true especially sa mga generals,” he said.
The President made the remarks after recognizing the government would need more resources to fight the illegal drug trade amid the involvement of some foreign drug syndicates.
He admitted that the government lacks resources to guard the country’s vast coastlines against the smuggling of illegal drugs.
“We do not have the resources. And even if we double, even if you address one-fourth of the GDP, we cannot guard the long coastlines of the 7,000 islands that we have to watch and guard,” he said.
With cocaine shipments reportedly dumped into local shores, Duterte said government suspects the Sinaloa drug cartel of Mexico was “testing the waters.” He said this foreign drug syndicate also seemed to working with the Bamboo Triad of Asia in drug trafficking activities.
“It remains to be a problem. It would need a lot of resources to combat it. It might appear just to be an ordinary law and order problem. But it will hound the Philippines until kingdom come because it is worldwide,” he said.
The President meantime renewed his warning to drug traffickers against destroying the nation. Duterte remained unfazed by rights criticisms, saying illegal drugs have destroyed many lives and produced dysfunctional families.
“For those of you who wish to destroy my country, I will kill you at gagawin ko talaga ‘yan,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
