Raffy Tulfo SCREENGRAB FROM TULFO’S INSTAGRAM
MANILA, Philippines — Senatorial aspirant and media personality Raffy Tulfo on Monday said the administration’s drug war was “definitely a failure,” adding he is now against the reimposition of the “anti-poor” death penalty in the country.
“Definitely a failure, siya (President Rodrigo Duterte) mismo umamin niyan. Kasi sinabi niya in 6 months’ time maso-solve na niya ang problema sa drugs,” Tulfo said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
“Pero hindi e, hindi nangyari yun, and then lately, siya mismo umamin na ‘hindi ko pala kaya, akala ko kaya’,” he added.
Tulfo also said that the criticized house-to-house anti-drug program “Oplan Tokhang” should be improved. Tokhang is a Visayan word meaning “to knock and plead.”
“Oplan Tokhang” is the police’s anti-drug campaign during the early part of the Duterte administration, where officers would visit homes of people accused of being involved in illegal drugs.
In improving the program, Tulfo said those involved in illegal drugs should be “given another chance.”
“Kulang e, one step further dapat yun na identified na yung adik na willing ka bang magpa-rehab, mag-open tayo ng mga rehab centers, give them another chance kasi nga naman, pag nawala na itong mga adik, na-rehab ba sila, may tinatawag na law of supply and demand,” he explained.
Tulfo noted that with a lower demand for illegal drugs, the volume of supply will follow.
“Wala nang nagdedemand, bababa na yung supply, hanggang later on. Kahit papaano, mabawasan ng malaki ang problem natin sa droga,” he added.
Death penalty
The senatorial aspirant was also asked about the reimposition of the death penalty, particularly against illegal drug suspects.
“Dati ako’y pro-death penalty and then as time goes on, nakikita ko na merong problema, kasi itong death penalty, anti-poor yan. Kasi kapag mayaman ka, mapera, kaya mong mag-hire ng pinakamagagaling na mga abogado. And more often than not, you will get away with it,” Tulfo said.
“Pag pulubi ka, pobre ka, no way, kahit wala kang kasalanan kulong ka at pag minalasmalas ka, death penalty ka,” he added.