MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte’s commitment to supporting Vice President Leni Robredo in her role as head of the government’s war against illegal drugs is a “most welcome” development, a lawmaker at the House of Representatives said Tuesday.
“The statement of President Rodrigo Duterte that Vice President Leni Robredo has ‘free rein’ as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and that he ‘will give her all that she needs’, including funding support, is most welcome,” Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman said in a statement.
Lagman said funding support is necessary since Robredo’s new role would require “additional modest allocations” to augment the appropriations of her office.
“These fresh funds can be used by the Vice President in re-charting the course of the anti-narcotics drive to non-violent policies like community-based drug rehabilitation and poverty alleviation programs,” Lagman said.
He also suggested that the anti-illegal drug allocations lodged under the other ICAD members like the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) should be realigned to support the innovative initiatives of the Vice President.
“The reallocation of funds will also enhance data gathering and evidence-based approach in documenting the actual incidence of the narcotics trade and drug use,” Lagman said.
Earlier, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated Malacañang’s stance that it will let Robredo lead the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs the way she deems necessary.
“We will give her all that she needs. She should be given wide latitude and she should pursue her own scheme of things in pursuing the drug war initiated by this administration,” Panelo said. (PNA)