President Duterte will mark his 100th day in office this Friday and so far, he has made “dramatic progress” in the campaign against illegal drugs and corruption, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the first phase of the drug campaign has been successful, from uncovering the enormity of the country’s drug problem to forcing the increase of shabu prices in the south.

“From where we are, from what we can see, he has made dramatic progress,” Abella said in a Palace press briefing.

“Apparently, the crackdown is making headway and the supply is being lowered which tells us the efforts against illegal drugs is succeeding,” he said about the skyrocketing shabu prices in Mindanao.

On reducing corruption in the bureaucracy, Abella has highlighted the administration’s efforts to streamline government transactions, including processing of permits and licenses.

“The streamlining of the business processes is already one step towards avoiding corruption. The streamlining of the business processes, ’di ba, katulad ng one-stop shops, three days getting licenses,” he said.

Since assuming power last June 30, the President has launched an aggressive campaign to bring down drug dealers and narco-politicians, and rid the bureaucracy of red tape and corruption.

The President’s anti-crime efforts, however, suffered a setback when Duterte conceded he could not suppress drugs within the first three to six months in office. He has asked for a six-month extension to finish the job, saying there were too many people involved in the drug trade and he could not kill them all.

Over 3,000 killed

As of September, more than 3,000 drug suspects have been killed either in police operations or summary executions. More than 700,000 drug dependents have also surrendered to authorities to undergo rehabilitation.

“When they say the first phase has been successful, basically you see it in terms of creating awareness – who knew how deep it was. From the efforts that have been done by the President, people are made aware of the depth, width, or the extent of drugs,” Abella said.

He said drug problem has infiltrated 97 percent of the barangays in the country. I think the first part of any campaign or as they say, war is to be able to identify the enemy and the enemy here is the illegal drug apparatus,” Abella said.

The rising death toll on Duterte’s war on drugs, however, has triggered outrage from the United States (US), European Union (EU) parliament, and the United Nations (UN) who have called on Duterte to put a stop to the killings.

The President, however, has rejected criticisms on his campaign against drugs, insisting that he would continue such efforts until the last drug pusher is taken off the streets.

Australia FM chided

Yesterday, Malacañang chided Australia for raising criticisms over the extrajudicial killings in the country through the media instead of the official channels.

“Foreign leaders who have concerns regarding the processes in the Philippines would best serve their purpose by addressing it through the proper diplomatic channels instead of voicing it over media,” Abella said in a Palace press briefing.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had earlier called on Duterte to put an end to the extrajudicial killings in the country following his controversial Hitler remarks. Bishop said Duterte government must allow those accused of drug involvement to face court.

“The Australian government is concerned about ongoing reports of human rights violations in the Philippines and we are monitoring the situation closely. We urge the government to ensure the cessation of extrajudicial killings and offer all Filipino citizens their rights according to the country’s criminal justice system,” she said.

The Australian foreign minister also urged the Philippines to keep the country’s alliance with the United States, saying Manila has “an enduring interest in a continued American role” in keeping peace and stability in East Asia.

Duterte angrily reacted that these foreign nations have no right to dictate on the Philippines, an independent sovereign country. He noted that the US and EU have no right to pontificate about the drug killings in the country, especially since they have been involved in past atrocities.

How about other fronts?

While Malacañang boast of drastic progress in Duterte’s first 100 days in office, two opposition groups in the House of Representatives said the Chief Executive failed to make any headway in addressing nearly all of the nation’s ills.

Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman have been at loggerheads with each other on various issues, including leadership of the opposition bloc, but appeared to be in agreement in assailing Duterte’s concentration in ridding the country of the drug menace.

“One hundred days to Digong’s presidency, we now want to see a president who is equally aggressive in his approach to crucial issues regarding traffic, flood control, taxation, education, health, poverty, hunger, housing, agriculture and other issues that beleaguer the nation,” said Suarez in a press statement.

“Ang laban sa droga ay dapat kasing igting ng pagmamatyag sa kaban ng bayan,”  (The war on drug should be as rigorous as safeguarding the nation’s finances), the Quezon lawmker stated.

In a separate press statement, Lagman said that while Duterte intensely pursued the drug war, members of his Cabinet were likewise zeroing in on the problem instead of pursuing their own job of addressing the 10-point platform of the President.

“It appears that the overridng and singular policy of President Duterte is to obliterate the drug problem even at the expense of due process and the rule of law,” he said.

Lagman accused certain members of the Duterte Cabinet of having “sidelined their principal work to support the President’s drug war.”

He cited as an example Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay’s recent trips abroad merely to deny, particularly in the US and the United Nations, the human rights violations and extrajudicial killings connected with Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.”

“The waking hours of Justice Secretary Vitaliano AGuirre is devoted to harassing and persecuting Sen. Leila de Lima to support the president’s personal vilification campaign against his nemesis in the drug war and human rights violation issues,” Lagman stated.

The Bicolano lawmaker also noted that Communications Secretary Martin Andanar has his hands full in defending Duterte from critics of his anti-drug campaign.

“The President’s achievements in his first 100 days can be measured on whether he has fulfilled his major campaign promises and by the extent he and his team have advanced the new administration’s 10-point economic agenda,” said Lagman.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by Genalyn Kabiling

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