Sotto on drugs: Demand reduction also a must

Supply-and-demand reduction is the answer to the proliferation of drugs in the country,

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said yesterday as he contradicted some senators’ assertion the government has failed to stop the narcotics trade.

“I’m sorry but the comments of some of my colleagues are incomplete. It cannot all be supply issue on drugs,” Sotto said.

Sotto was reacting to the statements of Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan that the correct first step in pursuing the goal of a drug-free Philippines is to go after the drug suppliers.

“There must be a relentless ‘demand’ reduction program. It cannot be all supply reduction,” the Senate chief said.

Sotto, an anti-drug advocate and author of various drug-related laws, said that even if all illegal substances such as shabu, marijuana, cocaine, heroin and designer drugs are removed from the market and destroyed, that will not solve the problem.

“There are so many other drugs that can be abused like cough syrup, contact cement, nubaine and others. A drug dependent will always find another drug to abuse. Therefore supply reduction and demand reduction is the answer,” he said.

Sotto’s colleagues earlier called on the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to go after those manufacturing or importing drugs into the country.

Pimentel, Escudero and Pangilinan expressed belief that if importation, manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs will be thwarted, there would be a huge difference in the current situation concerning the problem on drug trafficking.

Pangilinan proposed to PDEA to shelve what he described as slapdash and panicky plan trained on little children and instead go after the big drug lords to stop the flow of illegal drugs.

“Who is flooding the community with drugs? Don’t we even care to know who is responsible for this? Hence, the effort should be to go after these syndicates and big-time people involved and the illegal drug trade. Attack the supply of drugs,” said Pimentel.

President Rodrigo Duterte has made fighting the drug menace a primary goal of his administration.