The country’s fight against the menace of illegal drugs has been advanced by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the head of the Philippine delegation to the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria.

Remulla used the session, scheduled from 10 to 14 March, as a platform to declare the unyielding commitment of the Philippines in combating substance abuse and drug trafficking.

Remulla delivered his message before prominent world leaders such as Chairperson Shambhu S. Kumaran, the Permanent Representative of India to the UN, and UN Office on Drugs and Crime Executive Director Ghada Waly, among others.

“As the Philippines celebrates its 80 years of partnership with the UN as one of its founding members, we reiterate our commitment to multilateralism and the UN as the most vital platform for international cooperation to tackle our common challenges, including the world drug problem,” Remulla underscored.

The justice chief presented the Philippines’ human rights-based and public health-centered approach to controlling the drug problem under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the government.

Remulla emphasized that prevention, education, and a comprehensive rehabilitation program for drug-dependent individuals are the best ways to address the illegal drug problem.

“The results of all these efforts are encouraging. The 2023 National Survey on Drug Abuse in the Philippines has shown a decline in drug use, with the number of drug users decreasing from 1.67 million in 2019 to 1.47 million in 2023,” Remulla stated.

The government said it is conducting an executive review of the country’s drug policies while continuously employing a comprehensive “whole-of-nation” approach integrating law enforcement, socio-economic and health interventions to create an effective and unified response against dangerous drugs for the benefit of future generations.