Duterte to Filipinos: Help defeat drugs, corruption

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte yesterday urged Filipinos to join the fight against social ills and to learn from the lessons of the past as the nation welcomes the New Year.

Duterte expressed confidence that with patriotic fervor and solidarity, Filipinos would overcome the challenges that impede their march toward “a more prosperous and progressive future.”

“We welcome the new year full of hope and optimism. As we herald the start of another year, let us reflect on our storied past and learn from its lessons so that we can face the future with more confidence,” the President said in his New Year’s Day message.

“Let us work hand in hand to defeat the ills of drugs, criminality and corruption that stunt our development,” he added.

Duterte wished Filipinos a blessed and bountiful New Year and asked them to unite as they face the country’s issues.

“Together, let us face all obstacles head on, armed with the knowledge and brimming with hope that we can triumph over any struggle that we may face as a nation,” the President said.

Malacañang asked Filipinos to pray for the President to enable him to attain his goals for the nation.

“As we express our gratitude to the Almighty for all the blessings we received in 2018, we welcome the new year as an opportune time to reflect on the past year’s experiences and draw lessons from the things that had transpired, particularly how successfully the administration has overcome the challenges of the previous year,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. 

“As another chapter of our Republic’s history is about to unfold, let us continue to be united in our efforts and prayers to help realize the President’s vision of a more comfortable life for all Filipinos,” he added.

Albayalde vows relentless campaign?

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Albayalde vowed that the government’s war on illegal drugs will remain relentless this year.

“The anti-drug war must remain relentless and strong even as we must continue to sharpen our capabilities and strategies to once and for all put an end to this menace that has long been destroying many lives,” he said in his New Year’s message to the officers and personnel of the country’s police force.

Meanwhile, President Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs has resulted in the deaths of at least 5,050 alleged drug pushers and users in reported shootouts with law enforcement authorities.

The number of drug suspects arrested since the start of the campaign in July 2016 has reached 164,265. 

Aware of the challenges and expectations from the public, Albayalde urged his fellow officers to exert more effort to ensure their accomplishments are not wasted.

“With the downtrend in crime in 2018, I thus urge every member of the organization to exert greater effort to sustain this trend and assure our countrymen of our best in ensuring more peaceful streets and safer communities,” he said.

Albayalde also put emphasis on sustaining their drive to weed out misfits within the PNP.

“We will make sure to put more teeth to our internal cleansing efforts with greater responsibility and accountability now placed on the shoulders of commanders for the erring personnel in their ranks,” he said.

The PNP Counter-Intelligence Task Force has neutralized at least 100 corrupt police officers, nine of whom were killed in alleged shootouts.

Albayalde directed the police to be ready for two major events this year, the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law this January in Mindanao ?and the midterm elections in May.

“While all these will be at the center of our efforts, let us not be remiss in the performance of other police duties and responsibilities,” he said.

As this developed, militant groups said they are bracing themselves for more “blood and repression” from the government’s operations against activists, critics and alleged communist sympathizers.

“The regime’s line of categorizing activists, political dissenters and government critics with the armed revolutionary movement makes those engaged in perfectly legal, not to mention legitimate political activities, as targets of surveillance, intimidation and armed attack by state security forces oriented in brutal tokhang-style operations,” Teddy Casiño, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan national council member, pointed out.

“Just this week, in joint operations conducted by the 302nd Infantry Brigade and 94th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, and assisted by the (PNP), at least six persons were killed and 16 arrested in Negros Oriental on the pretext of an intensified anti-drug and anti-criminality campaign,” Casiño added.

“In Mindanao, Duterte has ordered the arming of more paramilitary recruits among members of lumad communities while declaring rebels as mere criminals and bandits,” he said. – With Emmanuel Tupas, Rhodina Villanueva