Speaking before the first anti-drug summit at the Hotel Intercontinental, Binay expressed alarm at the reports, saying that government and police officials must display political will in order to win the campaign against illegal drugs.
If reports are correct that drug lords – some of whom are also jueteng lords – have funded the candidacies of some officials, Binay said it means that "narco-politics" now exists in the Philippines. "Such a development will definitely pose a greater challenge to all of us who are sincerely determined to stamp out illegal drugs in our communities," he said.
"The campaign against drugs should not be offered to the highest bidder. It should not be used as a bargaining chip to gain financial and political concessions. And in cases where political favors are called in, we must all be ready to say ‘no ma’m or no sir,’" Binay said.
At the summit, participants agreed to create civilian volunteers in each locality. The volunteers will augment the police units and provide assistance in operations.
The volunteers will be made to undergo intensive screening and training. They will be trained in intelligence gathering, medical and emergency response, relevant anti-drug laws, court proceedings, and values.
Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado said local officials and anti-drug operatives have agreed on a single action plan for the anti-drug drive in Metro Manila and four nearby provinces. The participants came from 108 local governments in Metro Manila, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan and Cavite. Among them were mayors, vice mayors, barangay officials and police officers.
Mercado is also president of the Association of Metro Manila Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (AMMADAC).
Aside from the civilian volunteers, the action plan calls for the creation of a watch list of suspected drug pushers in each locality down to the barangay level. Persons on the watchlist will be placed under surveillance and will be the target of police operations.
The plan also calls for greater coordination between local officials, police anti-drug agencies, the fiscals’ office, the courts and barangay leaders.
Summit participants cited the need to get the people’s trust, and for the residents themselves to help enforce anti-drug laws.
The summit also addressed the issue of rehabilitation. Livelihood training and assistance will be extended by the local governments to drug users and pushers after their release, officials said.
