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MANILA, Philippines — Although his “too nice” attitude has been blamed for the government’s shortcomings, President Marcos said he wants to instill fear among wrongdoers as he carries out his policies, including his anti-drug campaign that will now set its sights on small-scale peddlers at the grassroots level.
This is similar to the initial focus of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, but the one under Marcos will not resort to killing suspects especially those who are merely using illegal drugs.
“I want to be respected, but maybe fear is better,” Marcos said on Monday in a podcast with Anthony Taberna.
The President admitted that his administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs had prioritized major drug rings and did not deal with small peddlers in localities.
Justifying the approach, Marcos pointed out that the most difficult task is to dismantle syndicates that have backers in the police and local governments and can bribe judges and prosecutors.
“We did not pay attention to those on the ground. They are slowly returning because I said our operations should go for huge seizures and we really caught drug lords. We filed cases and we sent to jail those who are guilty,” he noted.
Marcos’ approach is a far cry from former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs that left over 6,000 suspects dead.
Duterte is detained in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity.
“I am avoiding that, carrying out arrests or killings just because there is a suspicion or a report... I really do not like that because that is not the right thing to do,” Marcos said.
The government, he said, is deploying “cops on the beat” to conduct patrols and run after small players in the drug trade.
Marcos said he discussed the strategy with Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla.
As for his supposed ”too nice” attitude, Marcos said things might move faster or become more efficient if one is tough.
“What can I do? Become a bad guy? I cannot change my attitude. But you know, I really have to be tougher... Perhaps that is one of our lessons from the past election,” Marcos said.
PNP heeds Marcos
In response to the President’s directive, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will intensify operations against small-time drug suspects.
Recommendations should be formulated by police Drug Enforcement Group director Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said.
While waiting for recommendations, police stations will reactivate operations against small-time offenders listed by barangay anti-drug abuse councils.
At a briefing at Camp Crame, PNP public information officer Col. Randulf Tuano doused fears that intensified operations would be a repeat of Oplan Double Barrel, Duterte’s flagship anti-drug campaign.
The PNP’s operations targeting large-scale drug syndicates resulted in seizures of illegal drugs valued at P43.84 billion, which is higher than the P14.35 billion worth of illicit drugs confiscated during the first three years of Duterte’s term.
