Duterte-Cayetano Says Philippines on the Brink of Becoming a Narco State

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The tandem of presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano today warned that if the disorder brought by illegal drugs will not end, the country will become a narco state. The tandem commits to end the "drug chaos" for the benefit of the Filipino people.

In a statement, Duterte said the country is showing alarming signs of becoming a narco state. "In the national capital region (NCR) where the country's capital is situated, the government admitted that 92 percent of barangays are already infiltrated by illegal drugs. If Manila, the country's seat of power, is helpless to address this, what more the other parts of the country where government presence is weak?" The tough-talking mayor said.

Duterte also noted the presence of international drug syndicates in the country, such as the Sinaloa drug cartel, a Mexican-based group considered the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organization in the west.

"This is a clear national security threat. This is an invasion of a new kind. Drug lords, domestic and foreign, have declared a war against our families and children, and the government is helpless about it," Duterte said.

The duo said if elected, they will implement a combination of national, regional and international strategies to combat drug trafficking. "On the national level, we will strengthen and capacitate our security forces. We will cleanse the ranks of the police and military of the corrupt, provide better salaries and incentives and modernize their anti-narcotics infrastructure," Cayetano explained.
"We will also strengthen the five pillars of our criminal justice system. Drug trafficking thrives best in countries where there is grave insecurity and injustice," Cayetano added.

Meanwhile, on the regional level, Cayetano said they will push to develop the regions, especially those heavily infiltrated by illegal drugs, to provide the people alternative livelihood.

The vice presidential bet also said that internationally, he and Duterte will enforce stricter immigation laws to prevent international drug syndicates from entering the country.

"We will not allow the disorder to continue and our country to become a narco state. We will build a strong developmental state to provide bold solutions and swift actions to bring about real change. Under the Duterte-Cayetano watch, everyone will be afraid of the law, but everyone will be protected by the law," Cayetano ended.