PDEA chief: ‘Duterte’s estimate on 7M-8M drug users not from us’
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Director General Aaron Aquino on Tuesday said the agency was not the source of President Rodrigo Duterte’s estimate that there are around 7 to 8 million drug users in the country.
Aquino however said he thinks the estimate is correct as the President might have included drug pushers in the figure.
“The figure did not come from us, and when I asked where the figure came hindi pa malaman kung saan nanggaling ‘yung figure (the source of the figure is still unknown) but I believe the President,” Aquino told reporters.
The estimate also did not come from the Philippine National Police, its chief General Oscar Albayalde said, but added that the President has unlimited sources of information that might have been his basis for the figure.
Aquino also explained that clearing villages of illegal drugs would show that the number of drug pushers and users in the country is indeed high.
“Because based on our number of arrests, number of surrenderers, number of drug users and pushers including the barangay (village), once we clear ang barangay hindi mo naman alam kung sino drug user at pusher (you will not know who is the drug user and pusher once you clear a barangay). We don’t know exactly,” he said.
Article continues after this advertisement“We will only know exactly kung ano ang number ng drug pushers at users as we clear one barangay. Doon mo na lang ma-re-realize na ang dami palang drug pushers at saka drug users sa isang barangay. Baka kasama na ang drug pushers kaya lumaki ang figure [na inilabas] ng Presidente,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisement(We will only know exactly the number of drug pushers and users when we clear one village. Only then will you realize that there are really a lot of drug pushers and drug users in a village. The drug pushers might have been included in the figure that’s why the figure released by the President was that high.) /muf
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