Duterte told fight vs poverty effective vs crime

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Former chief economic planner Cielito Habito said the Duterte administration had a “very well directed” campaign against illegal drugs but suggested that its overall drive against crimes be anchored on the eradication of poverty and inequality.

Habito, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority during the Ramos administration, gave this opinion as he spoke in the 52nd general membership meeting of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Laus Group Event Center here on Thursday.

“Apart from drugs, which is another reason for criminality, poverty and inequality are other important reasons for criminality,” he said.

Habito said Japan had few street crimes because it was an equitable society.

One way of easing poverty, which is measured at 26 percent, is by helping establish more micro, small and medium enterprises, he said. “Instead of the few large businesses of top industry names, I hope the contributions of small businesses to economic growth would be bigger,” he said.

Habito said President Duterte and his Cabinet members had displayed a determination to implement genuine change and apply a hands-on type of management.

Habito said among the economic drivers in the remaining months of 2016 would be major public-private partnerships on infrastructure projects, the reconstruction in areas hit by disasters and new manufacturing projects, including those shifting operations from China. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon