Panfilo "Ping" Lacson (leftl), former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada (Facebook)

Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo "Ping" Lacson is proposing a "throwback" anti-drug campaign of sorts, one that he has implemented over two decades ago during the Estrada presidency.

The core of this program is tapping Philippine National Police (PNP) members to play not just the role of enforcers against illegal drugs, but also “teachers” in keeping the youth away from the menace.

Lacson floated this on Tuesday, Feb. 25 during a seminar on illegal drugs in Tagaytay City.

“We can train our police to work closer with the community, teachers and schools. They can explain to our youths the whys and hows of staying away from illegal drugs,” the administration bet said in Filipino.

He said this was similar to the Philippine Drug Abuse Resistance Education (PhilDARE) program he undertook as PNP chief during the administration of former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada.

PhilDARE itself was an adaptation of the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD's) Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.

Lacson said PhilDARE played a key role in the government’s two-pronged strategy of demand reduction and supply reduction against illegal drugs; while law enforcers continued to go after drug dealers as part of supply reduction, PhilDARE taught youths to stay away from drugs, thus reducing demand for it.

Officers from the LAPD were invited to train their PNP counterparts for PhilDARE, to work with schools and the community.

The training involved preventive education, or teaching youths up to high school to avoid drugs by showing them the ill effects of drugs. It also involved behavioral skills development, teaching youths to resist peer pressure to try illegal drugs.

“The results were very good. Our teacher-policemen became closer to the youths,” Lacson said.

“Our police personnel grew closer to the community and our youths, and our youths learned to stay away from drugs,” he added.

The top endorser of Alyansa is incumbent President Marcos, who has aimed for a "bloodless" illegal drug campaign as opposed to the supposed "Tokhang" bloodbath that has been waged by his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte.