MANILA, Philippines – Responding to the claim of Manuel “Mar” Roxas II that there are drugs in Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte shot back with a question: what did Roxas do to address the growing drug problem?

“Huwag kayo maniwala diyan kay Mar, imbento na naman na maraming drugs sa Davao. You know Mar Roxas, you were the DILG, anong nagawa mo?” he said during a meet-and-greet in Makati on Monday, February 22.

(Do not believe Mar’s invention that there are a lot of drugs in Davao. You know Mar Roxas, you were the DILG, what were you able to do?)

Right after the Sunday presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro, Roxas was quoted by media saying drugs can be found in Davao City and that he even knows where to buy them.

Duterte did not dispute the accusation.

“Huwag mo sabihing, ‘ah sa Davao may drugs.’ Of course, meron talaga. It’s very porous. There’s a low coastline, mag-motor ka lang galing Cotabato and you can slip it in, or in private planes, they do not undergo the rigors of inspection. Or vehicle. Ihalo mo lang ‘yan sa garlic, wala na. Mabuang na, hindi na maamoy ng mga ‘yan,” he said.

(Don’t say, ‘Oh in Davao, there are drugs.’ Of course there are. It’s very porous. There’s a low coastline, just take a motorcycle from Cotabato and you can slip it in, or in private planes, they do not undergo the rigors of inspection. Or in a vehicle. Just mix it in with garlic, it won’t be detected. It’s crazy, you won’t be able to smell them.) 

Roxas’ own backyard

But he criticized the Liberal Party standard-bearer for laying the blame on others instead of looking at his own backyard.

“Bakit Davao lang? Bakit hindi mo lugar, ang Capiz? Bakit ang Manila? 90% contaminated. Ngayon, 92% contaminated and the whole of the Philippines. You were the pinaka-top honcho ng police. Anong ginawa mo?” he asked.

(Why look at Davao only? Why not your hometown, Capiz? Why not Manila? 90% contaminated. Now, it’s 92% contaminated and the whole of the Philippines. You were the top honcho of the police. What did you do?)

According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), as of February 2015, Metro Manila is the region most affected by drugs with 92% of its barangays having drug-related cases. 

The agency also found that one out of 5 barangays in the country have drug-related cases. The most abused drug in the country is shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), followed by marijuana.

For his part, Duterte said Davao City has the “most behaved police” in the country. 

Last year, the Davao City Police Office was recognized as “outstanding” by the national government, while its anti-illegal drugs task force was named the country’s best.

On the same day that Duterte issued his statement, PDEA and Davao City police arrested a couple carrying P500,000 worth of shabu in Davao City, according to an Inquirer report.

How presidential bets would tackle illegal drugs was one of the topics at the presidential debate organized by GMA-7 and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. 

A January Pulse Asia poll showed that “curbing the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs” was the second most urgent concern Filipinos want their new leader to address. – Rappler.com