By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go reiterated his stand that the government should use the proper force to solve the drug problem in the country.
Senator Christopher "Bong" Go
(PRIB Photo by Joseph Vidal / File Photo / MANILA BULLETIN)
Go said instilling the fear of death, not talk, will protect innocent Filipinos from the menace of illegal drugs. Killing drug lords is also a must if the need arises.
“Hindi po madadala sa sinasabi nilang salita dito. Dapat mong patayin talaga kung kailangan. Takutin mo, patayin mo. Kung hindi mo papatayin ‘yung drug lord, wala (You cannot convince them merely by talking. You really need to kill if need be. Intimidate them, kill them. Because if you don’t kill drug lords, nothing will happen),” Go said in an interview at the opening of the Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop for medical and financial assistance at Taguig–Pateros District Hospital in Taguig City.
Go was reacting to Vice President Leni Robredo’s 40-page report on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, which she criticized as a “massive failure.”
A close ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, Go said it is undeniably difficult to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country primarily because of corruption. “Umiikot ‘yung pera diyan eh. Nabibili nila ‘yung iba diyan (Money circulates in this trade. Some people can be bought).”
However, Go clarified it is not the policy of the Duterte administration to kill arbitrarily.
“Kaklaruhin ko rin na hindi polisiya ng administrasyong Duterte na pumatay ng basta-basta lamang. Nilalabanan natin ang masasamang loob para protektahan ang mga inosente na nasisira or binabawian ng buhay dahil sa iligal na droga (Let me clarify that it is not the policy of the Duterte administration to just kill people. We are fighting criminals to protect the innocent whose lives are destroyed or who died due to illegal drugs),” the senator said.
Nevertheless, Go said the government has established rehabilitation centers for those who wish to rehabilitate themselves. He said the government now has 18 rehabilitation centers in different parts of the country, including Cebu, Bukidnon, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, and Las Piñas City.
“Malalayo ang rehab centers natin kasi dapat i-isolate itong mga adik na ito. Mapalayo sila sa mga kaibigan nila, sa mga source ng droga (Our rehab centers are located in far-off places because we need to isolate these addicts. They should be isolated from their friends, from their sources of drugs),” he said.
Go said Robredo and the other critics of the government’s war on drugs should go to the communities affected by the drug menace to find out for themselves why the majority of the people support Duterte’s fight against illegal drugs.
“Alam mo sino ‘yung one percent? Si VP Leni ‘yung one percent. ‘Yung 99 percent, ‘yun ang Pilipinong sumasang-ayon sa pamamalakad ni Pangulong Duterte na labanan ang droga (Do you know who make up the one percent? That’s VP Leni. The 99 percent are the Filipinos who agree with President Duterte’s management on how to fight drugs),” Go said, referring to Robredo’s statement that the score of the war on drugs should be 1 over 100.
Go added that between one person using her own computation giving a grade of one percent and 79 percent of Filipinos who said they are satisfied with our campaign, “I will choose to believe the latter.”