By: Jaimie Rose A. Aberia
Former President now Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada yesterday gave an 85 to 90 percent grade to President Duterte’s first year in office.
Estrada, a staunch supporter of the administration, said the Chief Executive deserves “a more than passing grade” because of his unyielding campaign against illegal drugs.
“Para sa akin, 85 percent, kung kailangan pa nga, 90 percent dahil sa No. 1 program niya, ‘yung war against drugs,” Estrada said.
Estrada said the entire country would become a narco-state dictated and run by drug syndicates if not for Duterte’s relentless anti-drug campaign.
During elections, especially in the provinces, Estrada said most of the candidates’ campaign funds usually come from drug lords.
“Kaya tamang-tama, very timely ‘tong going against drugs. Kung hindi dahil diyan, kawawa tayo,” he said.
Estrada said Duterte should focus on peace and order in his five remaining years in office. He said that the President is in the right track taking care of the country’s peace and order problem.
Without peace and order, he said, “No nation, no country can move forward.”
“We used to be No. 2 with Japan when it comes to economic standing, but now we’re second to the last because of our peace and order problem. Tourists would shun us, all over the world they are issuing travel advisories advising their tourists to avoid our country, saying the Philippines is a dangerous country. They go to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, they bypass us,” Estrada lamented.