MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte warned that drug personalities might take advantage of the 2019 midterm elections to exert their influence.
At the Cabinet meeting in Malacañang on Tuesday night, Duterte said he will issue an order for the entire government machinery to mobilize assets for the war on drugs.
“Tignan mo ngayong eleksyon, makita ninyo iyan. Drug money will play dito,” Duterte said. “Those drug syndicates will likely support politicians who will protect them and their activity.”
The President cited the Parojinog family in Ozamiz City who he said continue to engage in illegal activities despite the death of some of their relatives, including Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., in a drug raid last year.
Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog and brother Reynaldo Jr. were detained over charges for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of explosives and dangerous drugs.
The judge handling their cases was killed on Oct. 8. The Parojinogs denied hand in the death and called on authorities to investigate and arrest the killers.
“Kita mo hanggang ngayon itong naiwan na mga kapatid, mga relatives ni (Reynaldo) Parojinog (Sr.), pinapatay pa pati judge. Talagang tarantado ang putangina,” said the President.
Duterte said he wants to create a task force against illegal drugs comprising officers from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Coast Guard, among others.
“It (task force) can provide necessary personal complement to carry out the directive of the President to the Bureau of Customs to block the flow of illegal drugs in this country,” Duterte said.
Last year Duterte issued Executive Order 15 creating the Interagency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.
Its functions included ensuring the effective conduct of anti-illegal drug operations and arrest of high-value drug personalities down to the street-level peddlers and users, intensive advocacy campaign initiatives, and cleansing the bureaucracy of unscrupulous personnel involved in illegal drug activities, among others./PN
