Roxas recalls informing Duterte of ‘heavily drug infested’ areas in Davao City

To prove that illegal drugs continue to be rampant in Davao City, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas has recalled the time he wrote to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte informing him that 72 out of 180 villages in his city were “heavily drug infested.”

“Baka nakalimutan niya na ako mismo, bilang [Department of Interior and Local Government] secretary, sinulatan ko siya dahil ayon sa [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] mismo, hindi ayon kay Mar Roxas ito ha, 72 out of Davao’s 180 mahigit na mga barangay ay heavily drug infested. Kaya sinulatan ko siya tungkol dito,” Roxas told reporters at a campaign rally in Nueva Ecija on Wednesday.

Roxas said the Philippine National Police and PDEA under his watch were able to seize almost P5 billion worth of illegal drugs in 2014.

In 2015 before he left the DILG post, the antidrug agencies have confiscated P2.8 billion worth of illegal drugs.

Roxas said it was Duterte’s job as the Davao City mayor to help curb the proliferation of illegal drugs in his area.

“Hindi natin maiaasa sa PNP lamang ang ating laban sa droga. Kailangan lahat po ‘to, buong sambayanan magsama-sama rito dahil napakalaking pera nito at talagang maselan at masalimuot itong problemang ito,” he said.

But in an interview earlier on Wednesday, Duterte called Roxas “stupid” for blaming him for the drug problem in the local government.

Duterte said it was the task of the PNP to control the illegal selling of drugs in Davao City.

“Para niyang sinulatan ang sarili niya. Bakit niya ako susulatan? Hindi ako pulis at hindi naman namin control ‘yang pulis. Ang may control niyan ‘yung DILG,” said the mayor. RC