Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos assured on Monday, July 4, that the renewed campaign against illegal drugs will follow due process and the rule of law.

“This will be sustained in accordance with the oath I made as provided for in the Constitution,” Abalos said during a press briefing at ther DILG Central Office in Quezon City.

“We will involve other concerned government agencies, and most importantly, the communities, to make sure that we have a comprehensive campaign against illegal drugs,” he added.

Abalos said every illegal drug case filed should be ‘airtight’ to avoid these cases from being dismissed based on technicalities.

In most cases, Abalos noted that investigations are ‘deterred’ as there are no witnesses to assist in the cases.

He said at least two out of the three witnesses from the Department of Justice (DOJ), elected public officials like those from the barangays and representatives from the media are required to witness in the inventory of the seized illegal drugs.

“Hindi tayo ang pagsisilbihan, tayo ang magsisilbi sa kanilang lahat (public) (We will not be the ones to beserved, we will be the one to serve all of them),’’ Abalos said.

Abalos also commended former DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año for his accomplishments in the past years while citing the best practices in the City of Mandaluyong that can be emulated to improve the department’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

The DILG chief also commended Philippine National Police (PNP) Acting Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, Jr. for the effective mechanisms against illegal drugs but established that in all of society’s problems, “one must go to the roots and target the main source.”

“Maganda ‘yung ginawa ni Gen. Danao (Gen. Danao did well) and I commend you and the PNP for the war against drugs. Aside from the law enforcement aspect, we should get to the root causes of the anti-illegal drugs problem and address all of these things in collaboration with other agencies of the government and stakeholders -- unemployment, education, family, and a host of other issues,” Abalos said.

Abalos also vowed to focus on sustaining programs and initiatives of the department that have worked in the past, noting that his administration will put emphasis on ‘servant leadership’.

In the same briefing, Abalos has expressed commitment to work on the provision of firetrucks, prioritizing the fire stations lacking equipment under the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and improving jail management through the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Unity in leadership

Abalos also underscored the importance of participatory and inclusive governance and how it will heavily influence his brand of leadership as the department’s executive officer.

“Let’s get everyone involved, the LGUs, the community, and other stakeholders. Basta kayo , walang imposible. At yun ang sinasabi ng Presidente na sama-sama tayong susugpuin ang illegal drugs (And that is what the President is telling us, we should be united in fighting illegal drugs),” he noted.

Abalos then called on the DILG personnel and attached agencies to work in unity from the national, local, and grassroots level.

He stressed that the DILG workforce has his full confidence having interacted with them in previous endeavors especially during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said he knows that he is in safe hands and encouraged them to be open and not hesitate to air their ideas.