FILE PHOTO: Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — For Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, the government’s fight against the illegal drug trade can still be effective no matter who will sit as top leaders in the next elections, as long as they will continue to implement the current strategies of the Duterte administration.
Año made this remark when asked if he thinks that the drug war will lose its momentum if President Rodrigo Duterte will no longer be in office. To recall, Duterte earlier said he thinks running for vice president in the 2022 national elections is a “good idea” since he still has not fully accomplished his promises, including ending the illegal drug trade, corruption, and criminality.
According to Año, the strategies of the Duterte administration in the drug war have already been institutionalized.
“Doon sa issue ng vice president, hindi ako pwede magcomment dyan. Depende ‘yan sa ating Pangulo. But I believe na-institutionalized naman natin ang ating mga kampanya laban sa droga tulad ng pagkakaroon ng ICAD,” he told ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo.
(On his possible bid for vice president, I cannot comment on that because it depends on the President. But I believe our campaign against drugs has been institutionalized, including the creation of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.)
Año noted that authorities have been confiscating large volumes of drugs and are making accomplishments in anti-illegal drug operations “every day.”
“So even siguro sa susunod na administrasyon, kung sino man ‘yan, kung itutuloy naman nila ang mga sinimulan natin, palagay ko naman epektibo pa rin ang paglaban natin sa droga,” he added.
(So even in the next administration, whoever will sit, I think the drug war will still be effective if they continue what we started.)
Nevertheless, Año said he believes that Duterte would rate 9 out of 10 in his performance in the drug war, adding that the campaign has led to the identification of politicians involved in the trade and the cleansing of several local government units from the illegal business.