MANILA — Newly-appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez has pledged that the military would continue to assist other law enforcement agencies tasked to neutralize the drug menace in the country.
“As an institution committed to support the Commander-in-Chief’s (President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s) crusade of ridding the country of illegal drugs and organized crimes, I pledge the AFP’s assistance to the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency,” Galvez said during the change of command ceremonies in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Wednesday.
Illegal drugs, he said, are anathema to any civilized society and are considered the primary cause of rising criminality and narco-terrorists.
“Illegal drugs and dependence to it spawn criminals and narco-terrorists. We have seen in the siege of Marawi how terrorists used illegal drugs to fund their campaign of terror. As long as criminality and illegal drugs exist in our society, our people will never be safe and secured,” the newly-appointed AFP chief said.
To neutralize this threat, the AFP is more than willing to cooperate with other government agencies to defeat this menace.
“We will, as we should, collaborate with and support other government agencies. And together, as a team, we will fight and eliminate the menace,” Galvez said. (Priam Nepomuceno with reports from Ericka Cirera, OJT/PNA)
