Press Release
December 13, 2022

PRIVILEGE SPEECH
CONTINUED RELENTLESS FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS

December 12, 2022

Ginoong Pangulo, tumindig po ako ngayon bilang isang magulang at kapwa niyo Pilipino-nagmamahal sa pamilya at nagmamahal sa ating bayan. Ilan na po ba sa bulwagang ito ang katulad ko at marami sa ating mga kababayan, ang walang ibang nais kundi makauwi nang matiwasay ang kanilang mga anak sa tuwing sasapit ang gabi?

Before President Duterte took office in 2016, every parent had to endure being sick with worry because their children are still out on the streets at night; every child has never felt secure going home alone; and every family had a story or two of a crime committed in their neighborhood because of drugs.

Rodrigo Roa Duterte was the only President of this Republic who dared to wage an all-out war against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country. One might say that it was like opening a can of worms. Yes, this argument might be true. However, waging the war on drugs also opened our eyes to a reality we refused to acknowledge. Or was it merely hiding in plain sight?

At the start of his term, then President Duterte made us realize that the drug problem was massive and complex--a web of intricate systems that branched out into other different criminal activities. Fortunately for the Philippines, our President was ready and willing to be the first to do the dirty and difficult work in order to untangle the knots of the criminal web.

During his administration, President Duterte was indeed both feared and loved. He was feared by drug cartels, syndicates and even lowly neighborhood drug pushers. But he was loved by those who understood the relevance of his campaign.

Malapit po at personal sa bawat Pamilyang Pilipino ang isyu ng droga. Kaya nga po siguro naging madali sa lahat upang tanggapin ang panawagan na tuluyan nang sugpuin ito. Halos lahat siguro sa atin ay may kani-kaniyang kuwento o karanasan tungkol sa pagiging biktima ng salot na ito.

How many of our kababayans have been victimized by snatchers, robbers, rapists, who would later on turn out to be under the influence of illegal substances after they were tested? Some of them when interviewed by their arresting officers would even say that they resorted to robbery because they needed to fund their drug addiction. How many of us knew someone who squandered all of their family's wealth just to maintain their lifestyle of vices?

Ilang beses na po tayong nakabasa ng mga headline sa ating pahayagan; o nakarinig sa radyo; o nakapanood ng balita sa telebisyon tungkol sa mga krimen na bunga ng ilegal na droga? Masakit din po sa kalooban na mabalitaan na may mga kababaihan na hinalay o ginahasa ng mga nilalang na lulong pala sa mga ipinagbabawal na gamot.

Then-mayor Rodrigo Duterte, with his unorthodox leadership, somewhat struck a chord in every Filipino's consciousness. The message was straight and simple: the drug menace is destroying our country, and it has to be stopped. When the Filipino people voted in 2016, we did not only vote for Rodrigo Duterte as President. We voted for his advocacy. Filipinos accepted the campaign against drugs and embraced it.

To the credit of our law enforcement agencies, they readily responded to the call of President Duterte. I was privileged enough to be in the leadership of the Philippine National Police when we ramped up our efforts to rid our streets of illegal drugs. As we continued to do so, it was quite remarkable that almost all other crimes that were related to it began to decline in number. In February of this year, Secretary An~o of the Department of Interior and Local Government claimed that index crimes in the country dropped to 34,552 in 2021 from 131,699 in 2016.

It was, for the PNP as a whole, and for me personally, a validation of our claim--illegal drugs were almost always involved in other crimes. But more importantly, it was a vindication of President Duterte--he was right from the very beginning. We had been slowly becoming a narco state but here in front of us was the opportunity to prevent it from happening. Needless to say, we grabbed this opportunity and acted on it; time was, and still is, of the essence.

Upang malinis po ang ating bayan, kinailangan po na simulan ito sa mismong bakuran ng ating pamahalaan. Sa hanay po ng ating law enforcement, hindi po tayo nagdalawang-isip na imbestigahan at kasuhan ang mga tinaguriang "ninja cops", na siyang sumisira sa imahe ng ating kapulisan. Hindi rin po nakaligtas ang mga local elective officials na nagkukubli sa kanilang mga posisyon para mapagtakpan ang kanilang mga ilegal na mga gawain.

Ginoong Pangulo, marami pong mga public relations efforts na ginagawa ang ating pamahalaan upang mapaganda ang reputasyon ng PNP. Pero modesty aside po, dahil po ako ay naging PNP Chief, noong panahon po na ipinatupad natin ang war on drugs, nanumbalik po ang respeto ng ating mga mamamayan sa ating mga pulis. At iyon po siguro ang pinakamatamis at pinakamasarap na gantimpala para sa isang nagseserbisyo publiko--ang tiwala ng ating mga kababayan.

We engaged in the drug war, not because we loved war. On the contrary, we Filipinos have always loved peace. Our goal then, and until now, has always been to have a safe and peaceful community. And if being relentless in pursuing this goal meant heading towards a collision course with killers, monsters, and heartless criminals, so be it. We marched head on into battle and pushed further.

Presidents, governments, administrations--none of these will ever be perfect. But fortunately for us, there is something more important than perfection. What matters more is how much we try to make our nation better. Criminals of all forms, from street thugs to syndicate leaders, would do everything in their power for the government not to succeed. But, Mr. President, they always end up on the losing end of this fight, because our police and other law enforcement agencies have a formidable ally--our people.

The same way that Filipinos welcomed President Duterte's war on drugs, I honor and salute its continuance during President Bongbong Marcos' term. Under the current leadership of the DILG and the PNP, they have established creative programs that also aim to address the drug problem. Among those programs, there are two that I wish to highlight, Mr. President. The first one is the Buhay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan or BIDA Program of the DILG, which was launched in October of this year. Layunin ng programang ito na magkaisa ang lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno, kasama rin ang bawat LGU, sa pagsugpo ng ilegal na droga. Sa ilalim ng BIDA program, mas lalong nabigyan ng diin na ang bawat isa sa atin ay kaisa ng gobyerno-ang ating mga simbahan, eskwelahan, at lahat ng lokal na institusyon.

"Life is beautiful. Kaligtasan niyo, sagot ko. Tulong-tulong tayo." This is the second program that I want to give emphasis on, Mr. President, the newest slogan of the Philippine National Police. The slogan emphasizes the beauty of life, despite the trials that our country may face. But of course, life will only be more beautiful if we choose to make it so--tulong-tulong po tayo.

I admire and support these innovative programs; I know that with their full and proper implementation, we will continue to see our country improve its law and order. When I see our men and women in uniform, I cannot help but feel proud of what we have achieved in President Duterte's tenure, but also look forward to what we can accomplish in the years to come. But while I anticipate, I admit that I also worry, Mr. President.

Marami po tayong mga sindikato na nabuwag at mga kriminal na naipakulong dahil sa kanilang pagkakasangkot sa ilegal na droga noong panahon ni Pangulong Duterte. Maganda po itong pamana para sa administrasyon ni PBMM. Ngunit, sa kasamaang palad, Mr. President, mayroon pa ring mga matitigas ang ulo at tila sinusubukan nilang makabalik sa kanilang mga dating gawi.

Kaya naman po, hindi tayo dapat magpakampante. Kamakailan lamang ay may mga ulat tayong natanggap na may mga grupo na naman ng mga "ninja cops" na mukhang gustong gumawa ng pangalan sa larangan ng krimen. Habang nakatuon ang atensiyon nating lahat para masugpo at mapugutan ng ulo ang mga sindikato, tahimik na gumagalaw ang kanilang mga galamay.

Kumikilos sila dahil sa pakiramdam nila ay hindi sila mapapansin o matutukoy. Naglalakas-loob ang mga tiwaling pulis at PDEA agents na ito dahil akala nila ay walang nakatingin at walang nagbabantay.

Nitong nakaraang linggo lamang, pitong PDEA agents ang nahuli sa isang buy-bust operation sa Taguig. The estimated amount of drugs seized from them was more or less 100 grams worth P680,000.00. Uulitin ko po, mga PDEA agents po ang mga ito, kasama ang kanilang Chief ng Southern District Office na nahuling nagbebenta ng droga sa loob mismo ng kanilang opisina.

On October 8, 2020, PDEG SOU conducted an anti-drug operation which resulted in the arrest of PMSG Rodolfo B. Mayo, Jr., an active member of the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group Special Operation Unit-National Capital Region (PDEG SOU-NCR). Subsequently, police operatives raided the place where the report came from during the buy bust operation, the WPD Lending, Inc. at 1742 J. Abad Santos Ave, Sta. Cruz, Manila that led to the discovery of a whopping 990 kilos of shabu. Ang monetary value ng 990 kilos, ayon sa report, ay P6.7 billion. Habang tayo rito sa Senado ay hirap na hirap kung saan tayo maghahagilap ng pondo para mas maayos na maipatupad ang mga proyekto at programa ng pamahalaan sa taong 2023, tila madali lamang kumita ng bilyon-bilyon para sa mga ninja cop. Isa itong si PMSG Rodolfo Mayo, Jr. sa mga ninja cop na ni-reassign natin sa Mindanao noong 2016. Ako ngayon ay nagtataka bakit ito naibalik sa Metro Manila at ginawa pang intelligence officer ng PDEG SOU-NCR, at tuluyang lumaki pa ang kanyang papel in the proliferation of illegal drugs. Indeed, drug syndicates are back and they are coming back with a vengeance.

Isa pang kagulat-gulat na pangyayari noong nakaraang linggo: dalawang pulis na kagagaling lang sa isang anti-illegal drugs operation ang in-ambush at pinatay sa Pampanga ng hinihinalang Flores Drug Syndicate. Sino kaya itong sinasabing Flores Drug Syndicate ng Dau, Pampanga? These two policemen died on the spot. Nahuli na ang tatlong suspek, Mr. President, but the point remains: it seems the criminals are becoming bolder, shooting policemen at point blank range, ending the lives of our operatives in an ambush attack. Ang hamon ko ngayon sa ating kapulisan, papayag ba kayong ganyan na lang ang gagawin sa inyong mga ka-baro? Needless to say, the full force of the law should be applied to them.

Minsan may isang mayor ang nakapagtanong po sa akin at ang sabi'y, "Sir, bumbabalik na po sila. They are back to business. Ano po ang gagawin namin, Senador?" Ang tanging sagot ko: "Wag niyo silang patayin." Of course, we value life. Life is indeed beautiful. But this also means that we cannot get complacent, when the lives of our families, our children, are threatened. When the lives of those whom we love are no longer beautiful.

Wala pong panahon para maging kampante ang ating kapulisan sapagka't ito po ang hinihintay ng ating mga kalaban. The slightest distraction that we commit, these traitors among our ranks will grab all the opportunities to enrich themselves even though this would entail the destruction of lives-theirs included.

Hindi po sila tumitigil, kaya ganoon din dapat tayo. Ipagpatuloy natin ang ating mga nasimulan na at gamitin ang mga natutunan mula sa mga karanasang napulot natin mula sa nakaraang administrasyon.

The Supreme Court in the case of People v Ameril showed their disappointment when it declared in March 2019 that, and I quote, "We are swamped with cases involving small fry who have been arrested for miniscule amounts. While they are certainly a bane to our society, small retailers are but low-lying fruits in an exceedingly vast network of drug cartels. Both law enforcers and prosecutors should realize the more effective and efficient strategy is to focus resources more on the source and true leadership of nefarious organizations [drug cartels]."

While the Supreme Court's suggestion is not entirely devoid of error, we express our utmost admiration that our government is going after what we call "big fishes". However, we should not lose focus on the petty and common crimes that happen because of drugs. As experience will tell us, Mr. President, a holistic and all-encompassing approach to this problem is needed to beat our enemies.

The fact that the ninja cop behind the P6 billion worth of shabu was arrested is in itself a victory. For this arrest and for the many others, we rightly applaud our Philippine National Police. I hope more arrests will follow since alam nating hindi kaya ng isang Police Master Sergeant lamang na magpatakbo ng ganito kalaking drug empire.

Strategically, we have made our attacks from multiple angles and on different fronts. Through our awareness campaigns, we have continued to win the hearts of our people and involved them in our noble cause. Simultaneously, we have conducted investigations, made arrests, and filed cases against drug lords, small or big--there was no distinction. All of them are answerable to our laws.

Yes, we must go after the source of this evil, but we must not forget the seeds they have sown in our society. May kasabihan po tayo: "Walang malaki na nakapupuwing," Mr. President. These small-time drug dealers and criminals are potential cartel leaders and would-be enemies of the state. Huwag po nating isnabin (snub) ang mga small fish in our campaign Mr. President, kasi maliliit na isda nga lang sila pero sila po ang mga piranha na kayang kumain ng isang buong baka in a matter of seconds. Sila po ang nang ho-hold-up, nang ii-snatch, nananaksak, at nangri-rape, Mr. President.

Ang hamon ko sa ating mga kapulisan, Mr. President, ay hayaan nilang maglakad sa kalsada ang kanilang mga anak na babae sa dis-oras ng gabi. At kung sila'y nakakauwing hindi napagsamantalahan o namolestiya, saka natin masasabing safe na tayo, Mr. President. We know we are safe when we, the peace-loving people, are the ones who really own the streets, and not the other way around.

Recent data from the PNP boasted decrease in crime incidence. In the period from January 1 to November 13, 2022, there were 33,844 recorded incidents of these crimes, this translated to a decrease of 2.72% year-on-year than the 34,792 recorded in the same period in 2021. We thank the PNP and the PDEA for their relentless pursuit in making our streets safer. In every successful anti-drug operation that we accomplish, we do not simply congratulate our operatives. We say: "Keep up the good work!"

Mr. President, the success of anti-drug and anti-criminality campaigns are measured differently by ordinary people on the ground. They don't just look at the numbers. Kung umabot na po sa punto na hindi na natin isinusukbit sa ating harapan ang ating mga backpack, at puwede na tayong mag-text kahit saan nang hindi nahahablot ang ating mga cellphone, palagay ko po ay ganap na nagtagumpay na tayo. And ultimately, as I said at the beginning of this speech, if parents are no longer afraid of allowing their children to go home alone at night. Therein lies the true measure of success.

Mr. President, ramdam na po natin ang presensya ng kapaskuhan. Marami sa ating mga mamamayan ang excited bumili ng regalo at pagkain para sa pasko. Ngunit, sigurado po akong nakikita rin itong oportunidad ng mga masasamang loob. The coldness of the weather brings out the coldest of hearts. We are calling for more vigilance to the drug problem. More money is circulating in the community and we expect an increase in illegal drug activities that would translate to more crime incidents. Iparamdam po natin ang presensya ng kapulisan sa ating mga kalsada.

Muli, sa atin pong kapulisan, wasto ang ating giyera laban sa droga. Ipagpatuloy natin ang ating mabuting hangarin. Naimulat na natin ang ating mga kababayan, at buong-buo ang pagtanggap nila sa atin. Tandaan natin na katuwang natin sila sa patuloy na pagpapaganda ng ating bayan. Paghusayan pa natin! The nation is ecstatic with our progress, let us keep our spirits high, and our dedication to serve strong. Let us always strive to make life beautiful, for our children and for the generations to come.

Let us continue our relentless fight against illegal drugs. If we hit hard on illegal drugs, we hit hard on criminality, Mr. President. And as a reminder, dahil baka po nakalimutan na ng ilan, ako po si Bato na galit sa mga gumagamit at nagbebenta ng bato. A wise man once said: "My God, I hate drugs!"

Allow me to end with a Visayan word that best captures today's message to sustain the good we have started: Padayon!

Daghang salamat, Mr. President.

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