ILOILO CITY – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar claimed there has been improvement in the fight against illegal drugs in Iloilo City, which was once branded by President Duterte as the most “shabulized” in the country.
“All I can say is, not only Iloilo City but all places in the country have improved the situation, as far as illegal drugs is concerned,” Eleazar said.
Eleazar, who was guest at during the October 7 regional celebration of the 120th police anniversary, did not directly answer the question posed by a reporter if Iloilo City is no longer “shabulized”.
To recall, President Duterte publicly named local officials and police officials allegedly linked to illegal drugs.
President Duterte repeatedly mentioned former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog as a narco-politician and threatened to kill him if he ever went back to the country. Mabilog is currently in Canada.
Eleazar went on to explain that before President Duterte, many other places were facing similar problems as far as illegal drugs are concerned. But pointed out that the operations of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and PNP has curbed illegal drug trade.
“Iloilo City has improved just like other areas of the country,” Eleazar added.
Aside from the anti-drug operations conducted by law enforcement, Eleazar said there’s also public-private partnerships (PPPs) in drug rehabilitation and other programs.
Meanwhile, Eleazar is visiting key PNP headquarters in Western Visayas.