By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Malacañang said that there is no increase in the number of drug addicts in the country, explaining that the figure of 7 million drug addicts stated by President Duterte in his recent speeches is the nationwide count.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo (OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
In his press briefing Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted that they have no verified number of drug users.
The President earlier said that there are 3 million drug users in the country.
"What he's saying yung (is that the) original number is limited to Manila," Panelo clarified.
"If you will include the entire Visayas and Mindanao aabot ng 7 million, yun ang sinasabi niya. Hindi nag-increase, kundi yun talaga ang bilang (it will reach 7 million drug addicts. That is what he was saying. It did not increase, that's the actual nationwide count)," he added.
The PNP said that while they do not know where the President is getting their data, the figure given by the President serves as a challenge to them to do more.
Based on the recent statistics from the government's #RealNumbersPH campaign, there are a total of 170,689 drug personalities arrested in the 119,841 drug operation conducted from July 1, 2016 to January 31, 2019.
Based on the recent data, there are 5,176 drug personalities who died in the anti-drug operations.
Data also showed that there are 295 government officials, 263 elected officials, and 69 uniformed personnel arrested during those operations.
Meanwhile, the amount of drugs, paraphernalia, and laboratory equipment seized during the given time period has reached P25.94 billion.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo (OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
In his press briefing Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the statement after the Philippine National Police (PNP) admitted that they have no verified number of drug users.
The President earlier said that there are 3 million drug users in the country.
"What he's saying yung (is that the) original number is limited to Manila," Panelo clarified.
"If you will include the entire Visayas and Mindanao aabot ng 7 million, yun ang sinasabi niya. Hindi nag-increase, kundi yun talaga ang bilang (it will reach 7 million drug addicts. That is what he was saying. It did not increase, that's the actual nationwide count)," he added.
The PNP said that while they do not know where the President is getting their data, the figure given by the President serves as a challenge to them to do more.
Based on the recent statistics from the government's #RealNumbersPH campaign, there are a total of 170,689 drug personalities arrested in the 119,841 drug operation conducted from July 1, 2016 to January 31, 2019.
Based on the recent data, there are 5,176 drug personalities who died in the anti-drug operations.
Data also showed that there are 295 government officials, 263 elected officials, and 69 uniformed personnel arrested during those operations.
Meanwhile, the amount of drugs, paraphernalia, and laboratory equipment seized during the given time period has reached P25.94 billion.