Dela Rosa: War on drugs not perfect but not a failure

(Eagle News) — Senator Ronald dela Rosa has reiterated the war on drugs, while not perfect, was not a failure.

“With all honesty masasabi natin na yung ating war on drugs is not perfect… talagang hindi perfect. Bigyan mo ako ng isang bansa, pinakamagaling na bansa na perfect yung kanilang war on drugs,” Dela Rosa said at the Dangerous Drugs Board’s culminating event for the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week 2019 in Quezon City recently.

According to Dela Rosa, some sectors should “stop fooling the people” that the war on drugs had actually failed.

“Baka ang standard ninyo standard ng Europe, standard ng Amerika, standard ng Colombia… as far as Filipino standard is concerned… bakit 82 percent ang approval rating ng mga tao sa ating Pangulo (at sa war on drugs)? So huwag nating lokohin ang taumbayan, let us give them the real numbers,” Dela Rosa said.

He also called on government agencies to ‘go the extra mile’ in the war on drugs.

“Paigtingin pa natin ang ating pagtutulungan, we have enough government agencies addressing the drug problem, but what matters most is the support and cooperation of every member of the community. What will help us win this war is our united and strong front against illegal drugs,” Dela Rosa said.

Earlier, Vice President Leni Robredo said the drug war was a failure because it had failed to curb the  number of drug users in the country.

In response, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed her as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee Against Illegal Drugs.

Barely three weeks into the post, though, Duterte fired her over her taunts he should just fire her if he did not trust her.

The Palace had said Duterte’s move was also because of Robredo’s partymates taunts.

“Pinagbigyan ka na nga, binastos mo pa,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo had said in an interview.