PNP chief says only cops’ role was felt in past admin’s drug war

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Stressing the collaborative efforts in the fight against illegal drugs, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Rodolfo Azurin Jr. noted that it was the police force that apparently carried the weight of the government’s anti-drug war efforts.

“If you notice, dun sa past administration, ang naramdaman lang naman ng gobyerno natin is pulis lang ang nagta-trabaho eh,” he said.

Azurin said this when asked to comment on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s statement in New York City in September 2022 that he cannot stop the drug war pushed by the Duterte administration.

Marcos said he would take a “slightly different” approach by focusing more on prevention and rehabilitation, rather than enforcement.

When asked if he believed in taking that slightly different path, Azurin agreed, claiming the police apparently did the most work during the past administration, as far as the campaign against illegal drugs is concerned.

“Naramdaman ba natin ang ibang ahensya? Hindi siguro. Ni wala nga silang maipakitang datos kung ilan ang na rehabilitate nila. And yet the PNP can show kung ilan ang narehabilitate namin,” he said in a press conference Thursday evening.

Azurin and several PNP top brass were in Iloilo City for the former’s first command visit at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 headquarters at Camp Martin Delgado.

When categorically asked if he agreed that the PNP merely focused on enforcement during the past administration, Azurin answered in the affirmative.

“Kaya nga this time, masasabi natin na we don’t just go on the kill, kill, kill,” he said.

Instead, there is a need to understand the magnitude of the drug problems in every community to know the proper intervention.

“Nakita natin yun, na yes tama yun na hindi lang puro dahas. Kung mapapansin natin na sa dami ng mga namatay doon sa war on drugs natin the past years, ano na ba ang state ng illegal drugs natin sa mga barangay, sa mga opisina natin?” he said.

Azurin, instead, called on an aggressive campaign on demand reduction.

“When I say demand reduction, kailangan nating malaman sino ba ang naaapektuhan ng droga. Of course, the students, the workers, ‘yung mga drivers, kayo na sa media,” he said.

The country’s top cop said there’s a need to know the drug affectation of the barangays and how agencies could contribute to solving it.

“This is not the work of the police alone. Dapat pinagtutulungan natin nang sa ganun maramadaman ng nagbebenta ng droga, no amount of supply if the demand is reduced or walang papatronize ng produkto mo, mabubulok lang yan,” he said.

After identifying the drug victims and the probable drug users, the next step is to act on reducing the drug demands in respective areas.

“We need to identify the different areas that could help us,” Azurin said.

He cited that one agency that is needed to address this concern is the Department of Health.

“Hindi natin pwedeng sabihin lang na masama ang droga. Kailangan nating i-explain sa bawat tao na ano ba ang epekto ng droga sa katawan natin? Ano ba ang epekto ng shabu, ng ecstasy, ng cocaine,” he said.

This is where the agencies need to do their awareness programs to explain clearly the effects of illegal drugs.

“And we need the expert opinion of the subject matter so that we would have a strong reference. And we need the participation of the DOH for rehabilitation kasi sila yung in-charge,” he said.

Azurin also cited the important participation of the Department of Education and members of the quad-media in the awareness campaign.

“Role playing tayo dapat dito. We need to identify the role of everyone so that we will have an aggressive and successful campaign on illegal drugs,” he said.

Azurin also acknowledged the roles of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in this endeavor.

“We also need to analyze bakit nagbebenta ng droga ang mga tao… kasi baka hindi sila nakapag-aral gaya natin eh. Baka wala silang skills or competency to get a job, the same job that we have now,” he said.

That’s why, Azurin advocated that while these drug pushers are behind bars or are under rehabilitation, TESDA should come in and start teaching them how to acquire the necessary competency and skills.

“So, that when they go out of rehabilitation, they will have a choice. Babalik ba sila na maging drug pusher or they will have a new life?” he said.

If the government is giving livelihood programs to former rebels, Azurin said that might also be viable to do that to those who are rehabilitated drug personalities.