MANILA — Four months after being appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte, Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Dionisio Santiago has tendered his irrevocable resignation.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea reportedly sent the word to Santiago that Duterte wants him to quit.
The Palace has yet to confirm Santiago’s resignation as of posting.
The former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff’s resignation came in the wake of his comments that the establishment of the mega rehabilitation facility in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija was a “mistake”.
Santiago made the statement on October 31.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque has defended the construction of the large-scale drug rehab facility, saying the government did not spend to build the facility because a Chinese businessman gave funding for it.
Roque clarified, the facility, which had been underutilized, could also be used to house soldiers.
In a press conference last October 30, Santiago also announced that the government would focus on a “left-hand approach” in its crackdown on illegal drugs through the launch of its “Love Life. Fight Drugs” campaign.
Before taking the helm at DDB, Santiago served as the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) director general during the administrations of former presidents Gloria Macapal Arroyo and Benigno Aquino III. (PNA)
