‘Firing squad for drug lords’

SEN. Manny Pacquiao wants no kid’s glove for drug lords. BOB DUNGO

Sen. Manny Pacquiao yesterday proposed that big-time drug lords arrested in the Philippines be put under a firing squad as he sought a probe on the P6.8-billion shabu shipment that allegedly slipped past law enforcement agencies.

In a chance interview by reporters, the lawmaker said illegal drugs are behind the commission of most heinous crimes in the country, including murders and rapes.

Pacquiao was furious that despite the government’s war against illegal drugs, huge drug shipments are still coming into the country.

“I want (the) firing squad because they are hard-headed, I don’t know if these are Filipinos or foreigners,” he said.

“I want foreigners who are responsible for shipping these into the country to serve as example,” added Pacquiao who is pushing the return of death penalty in the country.

The multi-titled boxer-cum-legislator expressed belief that death penalty via firing squad on big-time drug lords can serve as a deterrent.

“The government lacks the whip (against illegal drugs) — that’s the death penalty,” Pacquiao said.

“I will push the death penalty against big time drug pushers.”

He added drug lords do not fear the law because of the absence of the death penalty.

Convicted drug lords detained inside government penal colonies like the New Bilibid Prison are still able to continue with their illegal activities, past congressional probes had shown.

Pacquiao said many self-confessed criminals have admitted to being under the influence of illegal drugs when they committed heinous crimes.

Meanwhile, amid the clash between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BoC) over the missing P6.8 billion shabu shipment, Senate President Vicente Sotto III yesterday floated the idea of having President Duterte as the country’s anti-drug czar.

Sotto, in an interview by reporters, reiterated his call for the creation of a presidential office on drugs and crime to oversee the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

The Senate president cited the lack of proper coordination between PDEA and BoC.

“That office can monitor, investigate things that cannot be done by Congress where we can only do it in aid of legislation…that office can conduct in-depth probe and there will be elbow room,” Sotto explained.

“It will be able to closely monitor and at times supervise programs, activities even operations of law enforcement units,” he added.

Asked who could be tapped as anti-drug czar, Sotto replied “I think the President.”

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, PDEA and BoC clashed over the alleged shipment of P6.8-billion shabu into the country.

PDEA announced that about a ton of shabu may have been slipped out of the magnetic lifters seized in Cavite last week.

It linked the lifters to those confiscated inside Manila International Container Port (MICP) earlier that yielded 500 kilograms of shabu.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino even expressed fears that the shabu from the Cavite lifters could now be circulating in the streets.

The BoC, however, downplayed PDEA’s claim — citing swab test on the magnetic lifters that yielded negative on traces of shabu.

Sotto said he is supporting Pacquiao’s call for a Senate inquiry into the latest mess between PDEA and BoC.

“There is really a need for deeper investigation…I definitely support any investigation but we are confined to the investigation in aid of legislation,” Sotto said.

This is not the first time that PDEA and BoC clashed over shabu shipment into the country.

Last year, BoC, under the leadership of former Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, seized P6.4 billion worth of shabu in Valenzuela after being slipped out of the port.

During the Senate hearing, PDEA questioned the manner the BoC handled the confiscation.