BERLIN, GERMANY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he opposed the handling of the bloody drug war of the previous administration as solving the illegal narcotics in the country needs a more compassionate approach.

Marcos Jr. made the remarks during his meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his working visit here in Berlin after the latter inquired about his approach to illegal drugs compared to former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war.

"I am diametrically opposed to handling the drug problem in that way, by confrontation, by violence. It really requires a much deeper understanding of the problem and a much deeper solution," Marcos Jr. added.

For context, the previous administration was marked by former President Duterte's relentless pursuit of a "war on drugs," during which he frequently issued threats to "eliminate" individuals involved in illicit drug activities.

A similar anti-drug campaign characterized Duterte's tenure as the Davao City mayor, where reports suggested the existence of a "death squad" responsible for executing his directives.

During his presidency, he openly encouraged Filipino citizens to take matters into their own hands against drug traffickers, pledged to grant pardons to law enforcement personnel involved in lethal encounters with criminals and civilians, and instructed his former customs bureau chief to use deadly force against drug smugglers.

While the proliferation of illegal drugs in the Philippines remains a problem of the administration, Marcos Jr. said that his approach to drug dependents changed significantly.

"It is a big problem, but our approach has changed significantly," Marcos Jr. said.

As part of the reforms, Marcos said there would be a restructuring of the Philippine National Police (PNP) aimed at removing certain police officers implicated in "various illegal activities" carried out during the prior administration.

“We are starting to move them out, and some of them have already been tried and convicted, now in jail and serving their time. It’s a difficult problem because it’s the money involved is so much that it’s hard for the government to compete with the kind of money that’s been thrown around by the drug lords,” he added.

The chief executive took a three-day working visit to Germany where he met with Scholz in a bid to strengthen the bilateral ties between the Philippines and Germany. He was able to secure USD 4 billion investment deals during the visit.