Marcos: Anti-drug war successful with new grassroots approach
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said that the battle against illegal drugs has been successful at the grassroots level due to new approaches to addressing the problem of narcotics.
In a video message posted on social media, Marcos said his administration focused on rehabilitation and preventive education programs specifically for the youth.
Marcos added that the Philippine National Police cleared 27,968 barangays from drug influence and confiscated some P10.4 billion worth of narcotics in 2023.
In addition to seizing substantial amounts of illegal drugs, Marcos said the police arrested 56,495 suspects during more than 44,000 anti-illegal drug operations.
The Chief Executive also mentioned that the national government has collaborated with 50 provinces, 1,160 municipalities, and 30 cities to implement the Anti-Drug Abuse Councils. It has achieved progress in tackling illegal substances at the local level.
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Marcos said the government has established 74 in-patient treatment and rehabilitation facilities to provide a path to recovery for those who want to break free from their addiction.
"This is a significant progress at the grassroots level because once we declare these barangays as cleared, it becomes easier to monitor and manage them effectively," Marcos said.
"Of course, we always look into rehabilitation — prevention to ensure that our fellow citizens do not get involved in these harmful activities related to drugs. We will help the victims in the rehabilitation centers," Marcos added.
Last week, Malacañang said the Marcos administration hopes to have established a drug treatment and rehabilitation center in every province by June 2028.
"Moving forward, the administration targets by June 2028 to reduce the target-listed drug personalities by 10 percent of the annual target list and establish CBDRPs and ADACs in all provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays," Malacañang said in a statement.
Additionally, it stated that local government organizations had received training from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on anti-illegal drug advocacy and rehabilitation campaign initiatives.
Marcos' strategy for combating the drug problem is different from that of his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs led to claims of grave violations of human rights, which caused the International Criminal Court to launch an inquiry.
