Senator Christopher “Bong” Go appealed anew for the government to sustain the gains made by the Duterte administration against illegal drugs and further intensify its drug rehabilitation programs.
Despite the controversies that surrounded the fight against illegal drugs by the administration of former president Rodrigo R. Duterte, Go said the nation has significantly benefited from the intensified crackdown on illegal drug operations.
“The proliferation of illegal drugs has posed a continuing threat to the lives and safety of our people, and the peace and order of our country. Not only has it ripped families apart and snatched the bright future of many of our Filipino youth, but it has also bred criminality and corruption, compounding the societal ills that harm our nation,” Go said in a recent statement.
He added that if left unchecked, illegal drugs could have completely eroded the very foundation of our country and brought grave consequences to the lives of every Filipino that we could not even fathom.
“Recognizing this, I fully supported the intensive efforts of our former president Rodrigo Duterte in his campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption,” he said.
Based on Philippine National Police report, he said the crime rate drastically decreased by 73.76 percent from 2016 to 2021, attributed to the previous administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Go also thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. for expressing his intention to continue creating a more holistic approach to dealing with drug-related issues.
“The problem of illegal drugs persists and so must our efforts to eradicate it. Thus, I am happy that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has recently indicated his intent to continue the fight against illegal drugs. I also agree with him that in doing so, we must also put emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation,” he said.
He added: “That is why I reiterate my persistent call that our approach to the drug menace in our country must be multi-faceted. We must remember that drug users are victims in need of physical, psychosocial and spiritual help. They can still be productive members of our society, and we must endeavor to take care of them as we do any other Filipino.”
He also reiterated his call for the enactment of his priority legislative measure, Senate Bill 428, that would mandate the establishment of mandatory drug rehabilitation centers throughout the country that would be supervised by the Department of Health.