President Rodrigo Duterte looks on as Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial shows the floor plan of the multi-million Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center donated by the Friends of the Philippines Foundation in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon on March 25, 2017. Also in the photo is Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. (Kiwi Bulaclac/Presidential Photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines– A P700-million drug rehabilitation center will soon rise in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
The Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center donated by the Friends of the Philippines Foundation has around 500-800 capacity inside a five-hectare land.
President Rodrigo Duterte led the groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, March 25.
In his speech, Duterte encouraged the illegal drug dependents to surrender because they “cannot discern what is right and what is wrong” when they are into such illegal activity.
“Do not deprive us of the next generation of Filipinos because we need them to run the country, to be the fathers and mothers of our children so that the Philippines can continue until kingdom come,” Duterte said.
He also hit back at his critics for “interfering” with his work. He reiterated that he is ready to answer for the cases of death connected to police operations.
“So I ask you: What was the conscience then and what is your conscious now? And you try to interfere in my work, blaming me for those of the death that are not connected with police work,” Duterte said.
“For those who died in connection with the police operation and I said that if you are confronted, shoot him. File the case and I will answer it. If I go to jail, fine,” he said.
On Nov. 29 last year, Duterte also unveiled the marker of the first phase for the Mega Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center inside Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. The 10,000 patients-capacity drug rehabilitation facility, which is P1.4 billion, was donated by Chinese real estate tycoon Huang Rulun.
“A 10,000 facility, it’s there. Finished in 4 months. Now, it will come to pass, look at it. I hope that they’d be able to reach the building before I kill them, these idiots. So, the—my Presidency begins and ends with public interest. Nothing is second, nothing is aside. Just public interest,” Duterte said.
