Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin (left), former president Rodrigo Duterte (PPAB, Malacañang photo)

House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin said that former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on illegal drugs--while well-meaning--ended up adversely affecting poor Filipinos. 

Garin gave this assessment even as she compared the previous administration's war on drugs and criminality that of incumbent President Marcos'. 

Marcos recently cited the lowered crime rate and cases of human rights violation under his administration--something that was achieved without "resorting to legal shortcuts or circuiting the process or acts that subvert the rule of law", he said. 

This was in stark contrast to Duterte's bloody drug war, which according to critics led to the death of at least 10,000 Filipinos. 

"We congratulate the administration of PBBM (President Bong Bong Marcos) for the bloodless campaign on implementing the laws," Garin said in a press conference Tuesday, March 19. 

"While the former president (Duterte) probably had his goals, iyung kanyang hinaing at yung kanya namang intensyon ay mabuti, the problem with from looking children or teenager or people being killed right and left, iyung mga nakabalot ng mga tape, medyo masamang picture kasi siya na ipinakita sa Pilipinas," she opined. 

(His intentions were good, but the problem with seeing children or teenagers get killed right and left, those who were wrapped in tape, it gave a bad picture of the Philippines.) 

"So, there are–well the intention of the former President is to curve drug abuse, makikita mo kasi medyo maliliit yung mga natamaan (you can see that it was the poor Filipinos who got hit)," noted Garin. 

She said that tolerating such acts can result to impunity and hurt the country’s tourism industry. 

Garin noted that the previous administration's campaign also encouraged stereotyping among Filipinos as to who were 'drug addicts" or not. 

"So, we congratulate the current administration and its bloodless campaign. But of course, we also have to make sure that rules and laws are implemented. Kasi minsan kung puro tayo patayan, tinatanggalan mo ng karapatan na magkaroon ng boses ang maliliit na tao. And this is very hurtful to parents like us. 

(Sometimes there are a lot of killings, you're stripping the poor Filipinos' right to have a voice.)