A YOUNG ARTIST from Bacolod City hands over her work to an official of a group of artists supporting a campaign to push Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to run for President next year. TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS
SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur—The continued spread of illegal drugs and the growing influence of drug syndicates are major national security threats, according to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is being suspected of allowing the summary executions of drug suspects through a vigilante group in his city.
In a speech at the 20th Caraga Business Conference here, the tough-talking Duterte said illegal drugs has become a national menace that nearly all local government units are having difficulty dealing with the problem.
“I have been everywhere. I have talked to many mayors and all of them admitted that proliferation of illegal drugs was the major problem,” he said.
He said illegal drugs presents a “real and present danger” to the country’s progress. “It can pull the country down,” he said.
According to Duterte, the synthetic drug methamphetamine hydrochloride, known in the streets as “shabu,” is proliferating because it is easy to manufacture. In Metro Manila alone, he said, nine out of every 10 villages are “contaminated with shabu.”
Drug syndicates are becoming more influential because “they can corrupt everybody,” he said.
The mayor, who had said he would not hesitate to personally shoot criminals dead, said the drug problem, however, does not seem to be getting the attention it deserved.
“I am very vocal against it because I know how serious it has become,” he said.
“Even if Davao City, for example, vigorously campaigns against illegal drugs, we could still expect drugs to be brought in because the neighboring areas are not as vigilant,” the feisty mayor added.
In Davao City, Duterte told reporters he is not bothered by reports about drug syndicates putting a bounty on his head.
“If it’s my time, it’s my time [to die],” said Duterte.
Duterte has rewarded a policeman and a narcotics agent with a tour of Hong Kong and pocket money for jobs well done in Davao City’s antidrug campaign.
The mayor announced the reward to Senior Insp. Ronald Lao, head of the San Pedro police station in Davao City, and Michael del Rosario, a drug enforcement officer, during ceremonies marking the 13th year of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Davao. Karlos Manlupig, Allan Nawal and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao