Bongbong Marcos: 121,582 imprisoned over illegal drugs

President Bongbong Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said his administration has sent to jail 121,582 people over drug-related charges since his term started in 2022.

“We are now pursuing 151,818 court cases by the DOJ (Department of Justice) in 2022 to 2023 with 121,582 naikulong na, itong mga violators tungkol dito sa mga drug trade,” he said in a video report on Facebook with the caption, “Our fight against illegal drugs will now slow down.”

Marcos asserted that these are not just mere numbers, as they signified an improvement in the community.

READ: Marcos admin eyes drug rehab facility per province by 2028

“Talagang pinapaganda talaga natin ang komunidad natin, pinapaganda talaga natin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan, at iniiwas natin ang mga kabataan natin diyan sa pagpasok sa lifestyle ng drug-taking,” he said.

(We are making our community better, our fellow citizens’ lives better, and we are preventing our young people from entering the drug-taking lifestyle.)

However, Marcos did not give more details about when these drug cases were filed in court.

READ: Bongbong Marcos promises to curb drug dependency among drug users

On Monday, he touted that 27,000 barangays have been cleared of drugs, while the Palace reported that the administration confiscated P10.4 billion worth of illegal drugs in 2023.

According to the Palace, the administration’s achievements in its anti-drug campaign can be attributed to Marcos’ renewed, holistic approach against the menace.

Marcos previously said the illegal drug problem is a mental health issue, emphasizing the importance of rehabilitation.

His approach to the illegal drug problem differed from the method of his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose bloody war on drugs prompted an investigation from the International Criminal Court amid allegations of massive human rights abuses.