DAVAO CITY - Former President Rodrigo Duterte recognized President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s less aggressive approach in the fight against illegal drugs due to his privileged background.
In a special episode of the Basta Dabawenyo podcast of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte on Wednesday evening, July 24, the elder Duterte commented on Marcos’ recent State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
Duterte mentioned that drugs are being manufactured everywhere based on investigations. He blamed the rise in drug-related activities on the growing population and lack of job opportunities, leading some people into the illegal drugs trade.
“This thing becomes a problem. I do not blame Mr. Marcos. He is a believer in God. I believe in God, but I will tell God: D**n it, if you cannot solve this, I will do it my way,” Duterte said, adding that he takes senseless killings of innocent people seriously.
Duterte emphasized the government's existence and role in governing the country. As the president he once was, he said if someone died in a distant village and it reached him that the person was killed without any reason, he would take it personally.
He justified his instructions to the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to do their jobs. He pointed out the need to reinforce maritime security as the country’s vast coastline is still at risk of drug smuggling.
The former Chief Executive, with program hosts Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Mark Lopez, discussed Marcos’ so-called achievement in the war against drugs that does not coincide with the crime rates and people’s fear over the crime incidents in various areas.
Marcos reiterated his dedication that their bloodless war against drugs will continue to adhere, emphasizing that extermination was never part of the strategy. The President’s remarks reflect his efforts to separate himself from the violence associated with the previous administration.
Reports, however, pointed out that Marcos’ campaign against illegal drugs is far from what he described in his SONA on July 22. The Dahas Project of the University of the Philippines’ Third World Studies Center revealed 701 drug-related killings in the two years of the administration.
According to the study, out of the 701 drug-related killings as of June 30, 2024, 283, or at least 40.4 percent, were carried out by authorities, including the police. As of July 7, there were 712 drug-related killings under Marcos.
Duterte advised Marcos not to be offended by the people’s remarks and opinions. He said that to address the problem, the president has to do his job as the country's leader and provide direct and transparent instructions to his Cabinet members.
Other topics discussed in Part 1 of the special episode of the podcast were the administration’s cleanup drive, ecosystem, Electric Power Industry Regulation Act (EPIRA) reform, investment pledges, and big-ticket projects, including the railway project.