DILG vows to continue drug war

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has vowed to sustain the intensity of the drug war in the final six months of the Duterte administration.

DILG spokesperson Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the country is already reaping the gains of the war on drugs and this would be a centerpiece campaign until President Duterte steps down.

“It is the centerpiece campaign and the President was elected on this platform. We will continue to sustain this gains with the same intensity with illegal drug operations this year,” he said on a phone interview.

The DILG noted that some P73.8-billion worth of illegal drugs has been seized since 2018, including P61.9-billion of shabu.

With the 218,665 anti-illegal drug operations conducted, over 300,000 suspects have been arrested, including 1,025 government workers.

The government has also declared 23,720 barangays free of illegal drugs as well as set up community drug rehab programs in local government units.

The drug war has garnered criticism locally and abroad due to broad human rights violations allegations, with thousands of drug personalities killed in the past few years.

Malaya, however, said the administration is not cowed by such allegations.

The DILG official said the public should look at the benefits of the drug war, which is supposedly to protect the lives of the 110 million Filipinos in the country.

Malaya stressed that the drug war has been able to help the country make great strides in anti-criminality efforts.