Barug PDP-Laban bets in Cebu City weigh in on Duterte’s ‘drug war’

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Local candidates of Barug PDP-Laban weighed in on President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs during the Mega Cebu Candidates Forum Klarohay Ta! held at the University of San Carlos on Monday morning, April 29.

“For so long in the history of the Philippines, there has been no president who has addressed this problem as well as President Duterte,” said Cebu City North District congressional aspirant Richard Yap. 

Yap said that people involved in the illegal drug trade only know the “rule of the streets” wherein violence reigns.

He also claimed that the President’s way of resolving the illegal drug problem in the country is “the only type of law that” that these people can understand. 

“I think that it has been addressed in the best possible way that can be done. Because we cannot do it in the proper way, wherein you know, you give them a warrant, you can arrest them. Some of these people, they really fight back,” Yap said.

“Only the President knows best what can be done.”

Incumbent Cebu City Vice Mayor and mayoral candidate Edgardo Labella said there should be a “no-nonsense approach” to addressing the problem.

“I don’t think that it is extrajudicial killing, it is just that many of these drug traffickers would really want to fight against the establishment,” Labella said.

He also said that the President has the continuous support of a great number of people who agree that the war against drugs should be relentless because it has destroyed and will continue to destroy lives.

Incumbent Cebu City Councilor and South District congressional aspirant Joyce Pesquera said that for her, the solution to the illegal drug problem is improving people’s quality of life.

“Once we will be able to improve the quality of life, ang mga taw, maski unsa sila ka kabos, dili sila mo resort to illegal means (no matter how poor they are, they won’t resort to illegal means.)”

Pesquera recounted that she was an advocate against illegal drugs back when she was still in high school. She also said the public could help the government’s campaign against illegal drugs by guiding the youth.

Cebu City vice mayoral candidate Michael Rama, who was once named by the President himself as a drug protector, said that if he wins, he would push for the 5 pillars of justice system, namely, enforcement, prosecution, community, correctional, and rehabilitation.

Rama said this will help the national government in its campaign against illegal drugs. – Rappler.com