President Duterte said that the government must throw its full weight in its anti-illegal narcotics campaign to counter drug syndicates bringing in huge volumes of drugs in the country.
Duterte made the statement following the recent successive drug busts that netted billions of pesos worth of illegal narcotics in Cavite.
In his pre-recorded public address aired Saturday, September 11, the President renewed his commitment to continue eradicating illegal drugs in the country and to punish those who are involved in the trade.
"I would like to reassure again those who are into it that: do not destroy my country because I will kill you," he said.
"It’s no joke coming from me since I was mayor. Hindi talaga ako papayag kailanman (I won't allow this ever)," he added.
President Duterte said the government still needs to do more as he expressed fear of what might happen to the country if the illegal drug trade will continue unabated.
"Hindi ako nagbibiro kung sinasabi ko na natatakot ako sa anong mangyari ng bayan ko pagka hindi maghinto talaga itong pasok ng droga (I'm not kidding when I say that I'm scared of what might happen to the country if we can't stop the entry of drugs)," he said.
"It would require more than just double of what we are doing now to the widespread importation or the presence of whatever-- baka dito rin (maybe even those made here)-- the drugs in the country," he added.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) were able to confiscate approximately 48 kilos of shabu worth P331.2 million in an operation in Imus, Cavite on September 9.
A second buy-bust operation in Bacoor, Cavite, by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), PDEA and BOC neutralized Basher Bangon Pangcoga of Cagayan de Oro City, and Danilo Untavar Tampogaw of Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Reading from the report, President Duterte said Pangcoga is a top-level drug personality whose main markets are Visayas and Mindanao. He is believed to have direct contact with the Chinese drug syndicate.
Authorities recovered a kilo of suspected shabu worth P600,000, which was the subject of the operation, and 180 kilos of the illegal contraband valued at P1.2 billion.