Batangas City, Philippines — Should Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte win in the upcoming May elections, expect President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs and crime to continue in the next six years.
The presidential daughter, however, said she is looking at implementing her father’s trademark program in a different way.
“Ang gagawin natin is kung ano ‘yung ginawa natin doon sa Davao City. I-emphasize natin sa ating mga law enforcement agencies particularly sa ating mga kapulisan, sa Philippine National Police (PNP) natin, na ang unang-unang trabaho nila, isang pantay-pantay na enforcement ng ating batas,” the vice presidential candidate said in an interview with journalists in Batangas City Tuesday.
[Translation: We will do what we did in Davao City. We will emphasize to our law enforcement agencies, particularly to the Philippine National Police, that their primary task is to ensure the fair enforcement of the law.]
She said it was the reason why the police office of Davao City, where she currently sits as mayor, was once recognized as one of the country’s best.
“Dahil naiintindihan nila (law enforcers) kung ano ‘yung mga dapat nilang gawin, particularly against anti-criminality,” Mayor Sara added.
[Translation: Because law enforcers really understand what they should do, particularly against anti-criminality.]
International non-government organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported that President Duterte’s controversial campaign has left 12,000 Filipinos dead. It said over 2,500 or nearly a fourth of the deaths were attributed to the PNP.
HRW said President Duterte and other senior officials have instigated and incited the killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity.
Mayor Sara, however, argued that the campaign had led to the significant lowering of crime rates nationwide during her father’s administration.
President Duterte currently enjoys one of the highest Social Weather Stations (SWS) satisfaction ratings by a chief executive on his final year, compared to his predecessors since Cory Aquino in 1986.
‘War on Drugs With Love’
The tandem of Marcos and Mayor Sara earlier said the war on drugs shall be pursued and won through “love.”
Their “War on Drugs With Love” includes more rehabilitation centers, health workers, and livelihood programs for illegal drug dependents.
The UniTeam Alliance added that law enforcers should also intensify security checks in the country’s ports to prevent the entry of illegal drugs.
They are also pushing for the continued cleansing of police ranks by constantly being vigilant and dismissing officers found using illegal drugs, as well as going after police officers involved in the drug trade.
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