Arroyo names self anti-drug czar TJ Burgonio Christian V. Esguerra Joel Guinto Philippine Daily InquirerINQUIRER.net
January 14, 2009
MANILA, Philippines—The self-proclaimed new anti-drug czar Tuesday ordered feuding officials of the Department of Justice and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to get their act together in a fresh war against drug trafficking.
Opening a Cabinet meeting on the drug situation amid a bribery scandal roiling the justice department, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said: “A country awash with illegal drugs is a country compromised, its law and order institutions tainted and corrupted.
“It is in this tragic context that the government should map out its all-out war, an unyielding and unrelenting war against illegal drugs and their devil merchants.”
Ms Arroyo announced she would assume the position of czar or overseer of the fight against drug trafficking until the bribery controversy is resolved.
Among those present at the meeting were the chief protagonists in the scandal—Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and PDEA Director General Dionisio Santiago.
“The President gave the directive to all those in the so-called controversy to start working together, look for victories, build cases, and stop the menace together,” Press Secretary Jesus Dureza later told reporters at a briefing.
Ms Arroyo will preside over the board meeting of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) on Jan. 22. She will stay on as anti-drug czar until after the independent panel tasked to look into the bribery charges has wrapped up its inquiry, according to DDB chair Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
“The President should be on top of this. This is a national security concern,” said Sotto, who made a presentation on the drug situation at the Cabinet meeting.
Quoting from initial results of a 2008 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by the government, Sotto said there were close to one million drug dependents in the country, of which 9 out of 10 are males, mostly single and unemployed residents in urban areas, and have an average monthly income of P14,980.
The panel, to be composed of the chair of the National Youth Commission, a retired magistrate, a law school dean, and a bishop, has until Jan. 27 to complete its work.
The other day, two ranking justice officials and three prosecutors implicated in the bribery scandal—DOJ undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor and Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño—complied with Ms Arroyo’s order for them to go on leave.
Along with other state prosecutors, the officials on leave have also demanded their PDEA counterparts to do the same, but Malacañang and PDEA itself have said that there was no need for the anti-narcotics agents to do so.
The scandal stemmed from the insinuation of PDEA agents that state prosecutors had been bribed into dismissing the drug case against three scions of well-off families—Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson—who have come to be known as the “Alabang Boys.”
3 fronts
Ms Arroyo said the renewed war would be waged from three fronts—law enforcement, judicial action and policymaking—“a comprehensive policy consisting of prevention, enforcement, rehabilitation and after-care.” She called the campaign a "trinity against illegal drugs."
“I will temporarily act as the czar, or overseer, of the war against illegal drugs. Then I will turn over the job to the tandem of Tito Sotto and Dionex Santiago,” she said, adding:
“We should not allow this menace to spread its tentacles, ruin our youth and gnaw on the integrity of our law enforcement institutions and our judicial systems.”
The President indicated that in waging the fresh battle against illegal drugs, her administration would take the bull by the horns.
“Governments that delay action against illegal drugs, or regard it as a routine police matter, do so at their own peril,” Ms Arroyo said.
“The case of the so-called Alabang Boys should jolt us into action. Not with temporizing and tentativeness but with resoluteness and the grit of a government fighting a just and moral war,” she said.
Random drug tests
Ms Arroyo ordered random drug testing for all secondary and tertiary students as part of the renewed war.
The planned testing, which would also cover all vocational and technical schools, was among at least 13 measures listed by Sotto to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
Ms Arroyo approved basically all the proposals, including the review of the PDEA’s operational procedures for buy-bust and entrapment activities.
Sotto said the goal was to come up with an “integrated manual of operations” governing anti-drug procedures. He said the PDEA was admittedly using an “old one” when its agents arrested the “Alabang Boys.”
Sotto acknowledged that random testing could be “subjective.” But he said the approach would not necessarily violate students’ rights.
“We reviewed the latest Supreme Court decision [on drug testing] and it’s not among those declared unconstitutional,” he said.
In an en banc decision, the high court junked a Commission on Elections resolution requiring mandatory drug testing for candidates for public office. But it found no problem with “suspicion-less” drug testing in the secondary and tertiary school level.
Consultation
According to Dureza, parents and teachers will be consulted prior to the testing.
“I’m sure parents would not object,” Sotto said.
Quoting Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno during the Cabinet meeting, Dureza said the campaign would be brought to local government units (LGUs) in view of reports that a number of elected officials were also users.
He said there would be a “frontline effort” to go after establishments being used as hubs for drug trafficking.
Asked if drug testing would also be initiated in show business, Sotto, a veteran comedian and TV host, said: “We might not have power to do so [but] we can encourage industry leaders to either go for a crackdown or initiate random drug tests in the workplace—and that includes everyone, whether they are in TV or other industries.”
DepEd testing starts March
Last week, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the education and health departments would jointly conduct random drug testing on students in the 9,300-plus public and private high schools nationwide starting in March.
Lapus said the activity was part of the government’s drug education program and would continue in school year 2009-2010.
He said random drug testing in selected high schools had been done in the past, with “positive findings.”
Lapus was apparently referring to the 2005 random drug tests conducted on some 8,670 students from 287 high schools nationwide.
At least 115 of those students tested positive for use of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and other illegal drugs, according to a report by Assistant Education Secretary Thelma Santos.
Other proposals
Ms Arroyo also approved the activation of 24-hour PDEA action teams and all local anti-drug abuse councils, as well as the establishment of “special drug education centers” by local governments.
She approved as well the building of at least six rehabilitation centers in four areas including Region 2 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Sotto’s other proposals were the review of all pending and decided drug cases, the assignment of lawyers from the Office of the Solicitor General to the PDEA to assist in case buildup, and the designation of the DDB as the lead agency for rehabilitation.
Sotto said the government would need to construct six to eight rehabilitation centers in four regions. There are only 66 rehabilitation centers at present.
He said the DDB would take over the rehabilitation centers, previously being managed by the Department of Health (DOH).
“With these recommendations, we hope to be able to effectively tackle not only the problems plaguing our national anti-drug efforts, but also the controversy we are encountering,” Sotto said in his presentation.
Lawmakers were divided on whether Ms Arroyo’s self-appointment was a good thing.
Parañaque Rep. Edgardo Zialcita said it only showed how seriously the President viewed the drug menace following the bribery scandal.
But Muntinlupa Rep. Rufino Biazon said Ms Arroyo put herself in a “precarious” position and unburdened the PDEA and the justice department of accountability.
Said Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri: “I’m elated that the President has taken a hands-on approach ... Since all the agencies tasked to enforce [the law and] apprehend and prosecute drug dealers are under her command, she can now instruct them to stop fighting and start coordinating with each other.”
Sen. Loren Legarda said high posts were not enough to win the war against illegal drugs.
“She should take prosecutors to task and catch the big fish no matter who they are. There should be no sacred cows in this battle,” Legarda said.
‘Overacting’
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano said Ms Arroyo’s move would show that the administration meant business in the anti-drug campaign.
“But will she be effective? We did not become Asia’s drug capital [as the PDEA describes us] overnight,” he said.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño said Ms Arroyo was “overacting” and “grandstanding.”
“We already have two [anti-drug] czars—Sotto and Santiago. What the President needs to do is clean up the justice department, starting with its secretary, and strengthen the PDEA. She should just do her job without resorting to fancy titles and gimmicks,” he said.
The “full powers of the President will be used in the anti-drug campaign,” Dureza said.
“This is an enhanced all-out war,” Sotto said.
He disputed observations that Ms Arroyo’s move was a slap in the face of the justice department and the anti-drug agencies: “Not at all. It’s the next best thing. Let me amend that. It’s the best thing that can happen.”
Officials had admitted that the President’s decision to take charge of the fight against illegal drugs was prompted by the bribery scandal.
Ms Arroyo herself said her directive to justice officials and prosecutors to go on leave pending the investigation of the scandal was proof of “how serious the government is in the war against the drug problem.”
She also called on LGUs, the Church, non-government organizations and other sectors to intensify their anti-drug campaigns.
She said LGUs that could turn a barangay (village), municipality, city or province into a “drug-free zone” would be rewarded with development projects “to sustain their efforts.”
Impetus
The Philippine National Police, through its spokesperson, welcomed Ms Arroyo’s move.
“We will support her with all the resources available to the PNP,” Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said.
The National Capital Region Police Office led by Director Leopoldo Bataoil said it would focus its anti-drug efforts on popular bars and nightspots in Metro Manila.
Bataoil said PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa had instructed him and the five other commanders of police districts in Metro Manila to establish a “united effort” in the campaign. With reports from Jerry E. Esplanada, Michael Lim Ubac, Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. and Alcuin Papa
