Ex-AFP chief Santiago appointed chair of Dangerous Drugs Board

Retired Gen. Dionisio Santiago (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Malacañang on Sunday announced the appointment of former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Dionisio Santiago as chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Santiago’s appointment to the drugs board and his return to government “will greatly contribute to the President’s vision of a drug-free Philippines.”

READ: Former AFP chief Santiago now heads Dangerous Drugs Boards 

Malacañang lauded Santiago’s advocacy to fight illegal drugs with his stint as director general of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

“General Santiago served as Director-General of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).  His expertise and advocacy is fighting illegal drugs, which became his platform when he ran in the last elections,” Malacañang said.

Santiago ran as a shared senatorial candidate in the 2016 elections.

Santiago headed the DDB after President Rodrigo Duterte fired Benjamin Reyes for contradicting him on the number of drug addicts in the country.

Duterte fired Reyes for saying there were only 1.8 million drug addicts when the President has been saying in his public speeches that there were 4 million drug dependents.

It was also from Santiago that Duterte learned that there were 3 million drug addicts in the country five years ago, the President had said. JE/rga

READ: Duterte fires drugs board chair