Sotto vows continued anti-drugs advocacy
Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) senatorial bet Vicente “Tito” Sotto still would want to live up to his being anti-illegal drugs czar once re-elected in the Senate.
In a press conference in Iloilo City recently, Sotto revealed that the problem on the issue of prosecution of drug offenders and the rehabilitation of drug dependents triggered him to seek a Senate seat.
When he was chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), “I saw the laws are in place, maayos ang takbo, maayos din ang enforcement, maayos din ang pagpapatupad nito pero nakita ko na nagkaroon din ng bagong problema. Dynamic ang mundo, dynamic ang lahat ng bagay pero pinaka-dynamic ang droga. It’s a big business, not only for the criminals in the country but also for the international drug syndicates. Therefore, they have to make it work. So, nakita ko na may malaking problema tayo on the issues of prosecution and rehabilitation.”
True, anti-drug operatives hauled a lot of drug pushers. Fact is, there are now 105,727 drug cases filed in court. In Region VI alone, 2,900+ pending drug cases.
“This is now the sad part. I realized it when I became DDB chairman that 24% were resolved while 76% remain unresolved or 80,451. Generally, 24% lang ang na resolve but more than 50% were dismissed.
Huli tayo ng huli pero nakatambak naman ‘yung kaso. Delaying tactics ‘yung ginagawa ng mga abogado ng mga drug pushers. Madaling mag-delay kasi tambak ang mga kaso.”
“So, I decided to come back to the Senate again because I want to create special drug courts,” Sotto stressed.
Also, the former senator claimed that he would move to make the rehabilitation plans stronger.
“So, kailangan nating makumbinsi natin ang ating mga kababayan na huwag gumamit,” he added.
Second, Sotto said that drug dependents should really undergo professional rehabilitation.
The problem, however, is the cost of undergoing rehabilitation.
There are now 96 rehabilitation centers in the country. Twenty-two of those are government-owned.
“So, I would work for free rehabilitation even on privately-owned center. How are we going to do that? Ipapasok natin sa coverage ng PhilHealth at health insurances. I would like to amend the PhilHealth Law and include the coverage of drug rehabilitation,” he said.
Further, Sotto vowed to be firmed on his resolve even it means that there would be a lot of personalities who would crucify him, again, on his crusade.
“I think some of those involved in the syndicates didn’t want me to become vice president in 1997. I think, I was bad for their business. So, one thing led to another. May mga bumato ng black propaganda.
But my conscience is clear. I remain clean kahit na ano pa ang ibato nila sa akin. I know for a fact that there are creeping efforts, through the internet or mail, sinisiraan nila ako. They don’t want me to win but I won’t allow them,” he added.
