MANILA -- Former Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go vowed to push for the institutionalization of the Anti-Drug Abuse Council to strengthen the government's campaign against illegal drugs.
In an interview with reporters at the 2018 National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Award on Friday held at Manila Hotel, Go cited the gains of legislating into law the Department of the Interior and Local Government's (DILG) ADAC.
“Sana maisabatas itong Anti-Drug Abuse Council, not only sa memorandum circular ng DILG but maisabatas na ito para magkaroon sila ng sarili nilang pondo at magiging mandatory na po sa bawat local government unit (We hope the Anti-Drug Abuse Council gets legislated, not only through a DILG memorandum circular but into a law so that it would have its own fund and it would be mandatory for every local government unit),” Go, who is running for senator in the 2019 polls, said.
Go, whom DILG officials called "Special Assistant to the People", congratulated the 241 outstanding LGUs awarded during the event.
"Congratulations po sa inyong lahat sa pakikipagtulungan sa ating gobyerno sa kampanya natin laban sa droga. Isa ito sa prayoridad ng ating pangulo (Congratulations to all of you for helping the government in our campaign against illegal drugs. This is one of the President's priorities)," he said.
Go emphasized his call for the people to avoid illegal drugs. "Kapag pumasok kayo diyan, yung isang paa niyo po ay nasa hukay na talaga (Once you get into illegal drugs, one of your feet is already in the grave)," he said, noting that those addicted to illegal drugs are victims of the system and must be given a chance to reform.
"Itong droga sinadya talaga itong ipakalat ng sindikato para maging adik at masiraan ng ulo, lumiit yung utak. Sabi nga ni Pangulong Duterte, pangsira ito sa bawat pamilya na naging biktima, talagang mapipilayan ang isang pamilya kung may magiging biktima po ng droga kahit isang miyembro lang. (Illegal drugs are distributed by syndicates for people to get addicted to them, and lose their sanity. They shrink brains. As President Duterte said, they are meant to destroy the family of every victim. A family will surely be ruined, even if it has just one addict),” Go said.
LGUs in the barangay, municipal, and provincial levels are mandated to convene their ADACs to address first-hand drug issues in areas of their jurisdiction. (PNA)
