No shame in using medicinal marijuana, Duterte told
Published Dec 4, 2018 05:12 pm
By Ellson Quismorio
President Rodrigo Duterte's "marijuana joke" aside, Akbayan Party-List Rep. Tom Villarin says the former need not be ashamed of using medicinal marijuana, especially if it's for his illness.
Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) "I think hindi naman dapat ikinahihiya ni Presidente ang paggamit ng marijuana as medicinal. Ang paggamit ay may tulong din naman ‘yan (I don't think the President should he ashamed of using marijuana for medicinal purposes. Its use can be beneficial)," Villarin said during a press conference Tuesday. "Yung medicinal marijuana naman talagang may gamit yan sa mga taong may chronic pain (Medicinal marijuana really has its use for people who have chronic pain), always in pain," the opposition solon said, adding that it "has the same effect" as pharmaceutical painkillers. On Monday, Duterte, 73, "admitted" in a speech to using marijuana to keep awake during his punishing schedule in the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore. He later said it was a joke. The use of marijuana, a downer, is prohibited under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002. Duterte, the oldest Philippine president elected into office, bared in December 2016 that he deals with migraine on a daily basis and has "a lot of issues with his spine." He is also known to have Buerger’s disease, which is acquired through years of smoking. According to Villarin, the fact that Duterte acknowledged the medicinal use of the controversial plant means that the latter thought of a using it for his own benefit. "Dahil inamin niya na meron siyang , in a way it crossed his mind na pwedeng makatulong yan for medicinal purposes (Because he admitted that he has an illness, in a way it crossed his mind that it could be helpful for medicinal purposes)," he explained. Incidentally, Villarin is a coauthor of House Bill (HB) No. 6517, or the Act providing Filipinos right of access to medicinal marijuana. "Sa tingin ko totoong may gamit naman yung marijuana kung pag-uusapan yung chronic illness ni Presidente (I think marijuana really has its use when it comes to the chronic illness of the President), which he has," he pointed out. Isabela 1st district Rep. Rodito Albano serves as the principal authority of the proposed measure to legalize marijuana. Failed drug war Meanwhile, Villarin's colleague in the opposition, Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman, slammed the Chief Executive during the same presser over his latest joke. "If we are serious about the campaign on illegal drugs then we should not be joking on taking marijuana," he said, referring to Duterte's signature anti-illegal drugs drive wherein thousands of civilians have died. "There is no hiding the fact that the President is behind the brutal war against drugs where so many extrajudicial killings have happened. Whether he uses marijuana or not, whether it’s a joke or not, it’s beside the point. "The drug war is a failure and has cost thousands of lives particularly of the marginalized and poor sectors," Lagman said.
Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) "I think hindi naman dapat ikinahihiya ni Presidente ang paggamit ng marijuana as medicinal. Ang paggamit ay may tulong din naman ‘yan (I don't think the President should he ashamed of using marijuana for medicinal purposes. Its use can be beneficial)," Villarin said during a press conference Tuesday. "Yung medicinal marijuana naman talagang may gamit yan sa mga taong may chronic pain (Medicinal marijuana really has its use for people who have chronic pain), always in pain," the opposition solon said, adding that it "has the same effect" as pharmaceutical painkillers. On Monday, Duterte, 73, "admitted" in a speech to using marijuana to keep awake during his punishing schedule in the recently concluded Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) Summit in Singapore. He later said it was a joke. The use of marijuana, a downer, is prohibited under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Drug Act of 2002. Duterte, the oldest Philippine president elected into office, bared in December 2016 that he deals with migraine on a daily basis and has "a lot of issues with his spine." He is also known to have Buerger’s disease, which is acquired through years of smoking. According to Villarin, the fact that Duterte acknowledged the medicinal use of the controversial plant means that the latter thought of a using it for his own benefit. "Dahil inamin niya na meron siyang , in a way it crossed his mind na pwedeng makatulong yan for medicinal purposes (Because he admitted that he has an illness, in a way it crossed his mind that it could be helpful for medicinal purposes)," he explained. Incidentally, Villarin is a coauthor of House Bill (HB) No. 6517, or the Act providing Filipinos right of access to medicinal marijuana. "Sa tingin ko totoong may gamit naman yung marijuana kung pag-uusapan yung chronic illness ni Presidente (I think marijuana really has its use when it comes to the chronic illness of the President), which he has," he pointed out. Isabela 1st district Rep. Rodito Albano serves as the principal authority of the proposed measure to legalize marijuana. Failed drug war Meanwhile, Villarin's colleague in the opposition, Albay 1st district Rep. Edcel Lagman, slammed the Chief Executive during the same presser over his latest joke. "If we are serious about the campaign on illegal drugs then we should not be joking on taking marijuana," he said, referring to Duterte's signature anti-illegal drugs drive wherein thousands of civilians have died. "There is no hiding the fact that the President is behind the brutal war against drugs where so many extrajudicial killings have happened. Whether he uses marijuana or not, whether it’s a joke or not, it’s beside the point. "The drug war is a failure and has cost thousands of lives particularly of the marginalized and poor sectors," Lagman said.