President Rodrigo Duterte orders the police officers facing various charges to be detailed in Basilan for two years during their presentation to the President in Malacañan on February 7, 2017. The President gave the errant cops 15 days to decide whether to resign or accept their re-assignment in Basilan. (Robinson Niñal/Presidential Photo)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Did Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte call Colombia’s former President an idiot?
The president did not mention the name of former President Cesar Gaviria before saying the word “idiot” however, it was clear that Duterte did not take well Gaviria’s advice on how to win the war on drugs.
In his speech at the 115th anniversary of the Bureau of Customs Wednesday, Duterte reiterated the challenges faced by his administration’s war on drugs, which was one of his campaign promises.
He said the problem was so great that millions of Filipinos were “reduced” to slaves of drugs.
“Yan ang masakit sa akin (That is what hurts me most). Once you are contaminated with drugs, and shabu is a very virulent chemical, one year use, you lose your sanity,” he said.
“That is why, to tell you frankly, sabi nila (they told me) Colombia has been lecturing about me.. that idiot, you know doon cocaine pati heroine, it’s not really… cocaine pati marijuana, medyo okay yan. You can still communicate. But with shabu, alam niyo minimix dyan? Tubig at baterya.
(You know there they have cocaine, it’s not really bad. More or less like marijuana… you can still communicate. But with shabu, do you know what they mix it with? Water and battery)
In an article published in The New York Times, Gaviria gave Duterte an unsolicited advise on how to win the war on drugs. Gaviria brought notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar to justice during his term as President in 1990s.
But he said: “Throwing more soldiers and police at the drug users is not just a waste of money but also can actually make the problem worse.”
“Locking up nonviolent offenders and drug users almost always backfires, instead strengthening organized crime,” he said.
Gaviria, who was among the founding member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said they “do not believe that military hardware, repressive policing and bigger prisons are the answer.”
He said to effectively reduce drug supply, the government should improve public health and safety and strengthen anti corruption measures.
“We also believe that the smartest pathway to tackling drugs is decriminalizing consumption and ensuring that governments regulate certain drugs, including for medical and recreational purposes,” he added.
Duterte, meanwhile , ordered the military to aid in fighting the war on drugs after police officials were linked to illegal drug trade. “Pag nakataya na ang bayan ko (If my country is at stake), there should be no compromise,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
