(FILE) One of the first anti-drug crackdowns under the Duterte administration results in the death of seven suspects and the arrest of around 200 others in San Miguel, Manila, in this Oct. 7, 2016, photo. The President’s bloody war on drugs later earned him complaints in the International Criminal Court. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
MANILA, Philippines—Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte can be a good consultant in the anti-drug campaign of president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director-General Wilkins Villanueva said Thursday.
“This whole war on drugs is his idea. We just supported him on how we will do it. But he can be a good consultant for the anti-drug campaign,” Villanueva said in a press briefing in Cavite.
Villanueva noted Duterte’s extensive experience as president and as former mayor of Davao City.
“Ang kagandahan kasi, galing siya sa local government, na kung saan napakalaking problema ang crime, kidnapping, terrorism and drugs, tapos nagawan niya ng paraan at nabaliktad niya ‘yung situation… hindi tayo nagkamali sa ginawa niya,” the anti-drug chief pointed out.
(What’s good is that he comes from the local government where there were problems about crime, kidnapping, terrorism and drugs. And then he managed to turn the situation around. We did not stray away from what he did.)
Duterte earlier said he will retire at the end of his term as president.
Duterte’s war on drugs received flak from human rights groups.
The International Criminal Court even opened an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed in the conduct of the drug war. The investigation was however, suspended in November 2021 at the request of the Philippine government.
Duterte has admitted being unable to end the country’s drug problem, which he had promised to do shortly after assuming office in 2016.
The PDEA said that more than 6,000 were killed in the government’s war on drugs as of April 30.