Duterte seeks Congress help in war on drugs

President Rodrigo Duterte sought the help of Congress in his war against illegal drugs during a meeting with lawmakers from the House of Representatives and the Senate on Monday night.

“The meeting last night with members of the upper and lower house was the President’s way of keeping in touch with the third branch of government, the independent Legislature. It was not a Ledac Meeting per se, although they did discuss legislation and the representatives expressed general support of the Chief Executive’s legislative agenda,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Adelino Sitoy said it was not a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting but a “mini Ledac.”

A high-ranking government official said the discussion between the President and the lawmakers was more on the administration’s war on drugs.

“Hiningi ni PRRD (President Duterte) ang tulong ng Senate at House Leaderships dahil sa lawak ng drug problems,” the source, who requested anonymity, said.

Sitoy said the executive committee meeting of Ledac would be held on December 5 where the priority measures of the Duterte administration would be presented.

Lawmakers present during the meeting include Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Senators Vicente Sotto III, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Manny Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Allan Peter Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Quezon Representative Danilo Suarez, and Davao City Representative Karlo Nograles.

Pimentel said they took up other priority measures, such as income tax reform package including reduction of income tax per individual, anti-money laundering law amendments, budget reform bill and government right-sizing bill./rga

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