Two measures deemed instrumental in the government's campaign against illegal drugs were approved back-to-back by the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs today.
Gaining the House panel's nod were two unnumbered substitute bills -- one batting for the creation of anti-drug abuse councils (ADACs) in all provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays throughout the country; and another strengthening the drug prevention and control provisions of Republic Act (RA) No.9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Committee chairman Surigao del Sur Rep. Robert Ace Barbers carried separate motions to approve the two substitute bills after hearing no objections from panel members in their virtual hearing.
There were minimal discussions on the two pending measures since they already went through exhaustive technical working group (TWG) proceedings, Barbers said. With their panel approval, the substitute bills will be designated a number and forwarded to the consideration of the plenary.
"We will do our best to have these approved on third and final reading and urge the Senate to do the same," Barbers said.
The attending resource persons, who also participated in the TWG meetings, expressed their appreciation for the panel's work, specifically on pursuing the institutionalization of ADACs in local government units.
The proposed statute for ADACs, which was based from House Bill (HB) Nos. 5405 and 5894, includes a funding provision to the anti-drug endeavor.
"We would like to thank the congressmen and chairman for passing the ADAC bill, it's really needed in implementing the community-based drug rehab (program) with DoH (Department of Health) and DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development)," Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Ricojudge Echiverri said.
Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Undersecretary Benjamin Reyes echoed these sentiments. "We feel that the ADAC bill alone, plus the funding…will institutionalize our campaign until the suceeding administration. This will be our legacy Mr. Chair," he told Barbers.
Right after the ADAC measure's approval, the House panel took up the substitute bill seeking amendments to RA No.9165, the country's main law when in comes to narcotics. This particular substitute bill was a consolidation of 12 separate bills.
In justifying the bill, the authors claimed that drug syndicates continue to flourish by exploiting the loopholes in the current language of the law.
The bill provides, among others, for a legal presumption of who is considered as the importer, financier, and protector or coddler of illegal drugs as well as the legal consequences or penalties for importers and financiers of illegal drugs, and their protectors, or coddlers.
It also penalizes the exportation of dangerous drugs from the Philippines as the current law only limits the penalties to importation.
Barbers said that this particular substitute bill would still be open to further amendments once it is taken up in the plenary.
The Mindanao lawmaker is a staunch supporter of President Duterte's hardline campaign against illegal drugs.