By: Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
President Duterte reiterated that he is keeping his hands off on his all-out war against illegal drugs, a campaign promise which catapulted him to the presidency.
Duterte remains sensitive to the issue after he admitted that he was offended by the remarks of former Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago that the mega-drug rehabilitation facility in Nueva Ecija was a mistake.
The Chief Executive said he is surprised that critics are still aiming at him despite his earlier pronouncement that he wants nothing to do with the drug campaign anymore after he left the responsibility to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Now umiwas na ako and I am really very surprised that they are still harping on me when, as a matter of fact, I have distanced myself from the PDEA. It is now the PDEA,” Duterte said.
Duterte gave the responsibility over the drug campaign to the PDEA, removing the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and other agencies, out of the campaign.
He admitted that this move was to satisfy critics who have been calling out his drug war due to the supposed involvement of the PNP in alleged cases of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.
