President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday claimed that the drug trade in the Philippines became “almost paralyzed” during his term.
In an interview broadcast over the television station of preacher Apollo Quiboloy, Duterte said the drug trade had lessened significantly—especially in his home city of Davao—since he assumed the presidency in 2016.
“We have seen a lessening of the drugs actually in the Philippines. Dito sa Davao wala na, tingi-tingi [na lang]. But sa ibang lugar mayroon, like Manila, but they are almost paralyzed,” the president said.
Duterte attributed the achievements to “better” and “working” intelligence systems.
Duterte in 2016 asserted that he would eradicate corruption in six months but has since retracted his statements, saying the drug problem of the country was impossible to cleanse as even law enforcement officials were involved in the drug trade.
“Kagaya noon sabi ko I will end the problem of drugs in Manila or in the Philippines, I did not know, Pastor, that about six police generals were into drugs, either sila mismo or protecting the drug people,” he told Quiboloy.
“I did not know that I was fighting my own government. I was fighting corruption in sa Customs at kung saan-saan,” he added.
The president also renewed his threat to kill those involved in drug dealing.
“You deal with drugs, you destroy my country, I will kill you. I do not mince my words when I said I will kill you. And when you do drugs, sell it to our daughters, to our young boys and you destroy their lives, I will kill you because that is a defense mechanism,” he said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro