The fight against illegal drugs will continue to be pursued for the remaining years of the Duterte Administration.
Dangerous Drugs Board Chairperson Catalino Cuy said in an online forum that the government’s enhanced campaign to combat illegal drugs which President Duterte aims to eradicate has not ceased even with the current pandemic.
More than 20,000 barangays in the country have been considered drug-free since the onset of the campaign, according to Cuy. Around 14,000 barangays are seen to be cleared of drugs in 2022.
The DDB emphasized that no one is exempted from the illegal drugs war, saying that 909 government workers have been arrested since July 2016 to the end of October.
“Included dito ang (Included here are) 362 elected officials, 102 uniformed personnel, and around 445 government employees. So sila ‘yung mga kasama sa around (They are among the) 300,000 arrested individuals during the campaign since the start of this admin,” Cuy reported.
The DDB clarified that the recent decision of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs to exclude marijuana in the list of most dangerous drugs does not have a direct effect on the country.
The DBB hopes the reclassification of cannabis “will not send a wrong message to the public, especially the youth that it is safe to use.”
“It remains regulated because it is highly addictive and causes negative health, social, and legal consequences. The agencies of the government will remain steadfast in implementing measures to prevent the trafficking and unauthorized use of cannabis and other dangerous drugs,” Cuy emphasized.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it is continuously supporting the campaign of the government on the matter and is focusing on the creation of local anti-drug abuse councils and the building of local rehabilitation centers. – Report from Kenneth Paciente
