Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año is hoping that the next administration will support the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign and the continue to sustain the gains of the government's anti-communist insurgency program through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Ang atin sanang panawagan sa darating administration on projects, efforts, programs ng DILG na pinagutos din ng ating Pangulo (President Duterte). Dapat ituloy tuloy especially yung effort namin against drugs, illegal drugs, against criminality of course suportahan yung NTF-ELCAC in fighting the CPP-NPA-NDF and their cohorts at saka yun nga yung capacitating the LGUs (local government units) makapagbigay ng services sa mga tao. So kung pwede ituloy tuloy lang sana lahat yun (We call on the next administration to continue the projects, efforts, programs of the DILG that was ordered by the President. This should continue, especially our efforts against drugs, illegal drugs, against criminality of course, support the NTF-ELCAC in fighting the CPP-NPA-NDF and their cohorts in capacitating the LGUs to provide public service. If it is possible all of these programs should continue),’’ Año said.

Año said he is willing to provide advice and support to the incoming DILG secretary.

“At saka pinrepare naman talaga natin yung buong DILG organizations and machineries to support the incoming administration (And we are really preparing the entire DILG organizations and machineries to support the incoming administration,),” he added.

The DILG chief said the government’s operations stemmed from the joint cooperation of law enforcement agencies under the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) established in 2019.

“Parang social menace, social problem na to. Ang epekto nito sa Filipino family, ang pagadress natin ng (illegal) drugs tulad ng ginagawa natin sa ICAD na address the law of supply and the law of demand, kasabay ng pagoperate ng mga law enforcement at pagprosecute, yung rehabilitation effort din para magamot yung mga adik, hindi na sila maghanap ng drugs, pag walang demand syempre hindi rin magsusucceed yung supply kung walang bibili (It is like a social menace, this is a social problem. Its effect on the Filipino family, our efforts to address (illegal) drugs like we do at ICAD which addresses the law of supply and the law of demand, alongside with the law enforcement operation and prosecution, the rehabilitation effort also to treat the addicts, to make them not look for drugs, if there is no demand of course the supply will not succeed if no one buys them),” Año explained.

Further, Año noted the wide scope of the illegal drug menace in the country with all the facets of life and social strata involved in it.

“Imagine pati sa mga local govt officials meron palang mga nasa drug list. Karamihang pamilya hindi nirereport na yung anak nila. Gumagamit ng drugs may mga problema na pala ano, parang its something na merong self denial pero nandyan kahit saang community may nagbebenta (Imagine even local government officials are included in the drug list. Most families do not respect their children. They use drugs, they are already problematic, it’s like there is something of self-denial but it is there in all the communities, the selling of drugs),’’ he noted.

Admitting that illegal drugs is a ‘worldwide problem’, Año maintained that President Duterte has done a tremendous job in neutralizing the illegal drug trade. (Chito A. Chavez)