MANILA – Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) head Dante Jimenez has been chosen by President Rodrigo Duterte as the new co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
Jimenez’s appointment papers were released publicly on Friday afternoon, making him the replacement to the position which was held by Vice President Leni Robredo for a couple of weeks late last year.
The appointment of Jimenez was welcomed by his co-chair in ICAD, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director General Aaron Aquino.
“The appointment of Mr. Dante Jimenez as ICAD co-chairman is a welcome development for the illegal drug campaign. Mr. Jimenez, an anti-corruption crusader, will greatly contribute to the illegal drug war of the government since illegal drugs are also linked to corruption. We are looking forward to working with him,” Aquino said.
ICAD, created through Executive Order 15 signed on March 6, 2017, is tasked to ensure the member-agencies’ implementation of and compliance with all policies, laws, and issuances on the anti-narcotics campaign in an “integrated and synchronized manner.”
ICAD members include the Dangerous Drugs Board; Philippine National Police; National Bureau of Investigation; Armed Forces of the Philippines; Anti-Money Laundering Council; Public Attorney’s Office; Office of the Solicitor General; Philippine Coast Guard; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority; and Philippine Information Agency.
Other members of the anti-drug body are the Departments of the Interior and Local Government, Justice, Health, Education, Social Welfare, Trade, Agriculture, and Defense; and the bureaus of Customs and Immigration.
Robredo was earlier appointed by Duterte to the position on Oct. 31, 2019 after the latter claimed that the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs is “obviously not working.”
She was, however, fired as drug czar on Nov. 24 last year for failing to present new measures to improve the government’s fight against illegal drugs./PN
