Why Aren't We Jailing Big-Time Drug Lords
And Throwing The Keys Away?--Sen. Marcos

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. is puzzled why the government's campaign against big-time drug lords is not making any significant progress when the identities of many of these criminals are already known to the authorities.

"We all know who they are--these drug lords. The PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), they may not say it in public, but if you sit down with the officers they will give you a list of who they (drug lords) are," Marcos said during an open forum last Wednesday at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Pasay.

"Why are we not arresting them, putting them in jail and throwing the keys away?" Marcos argued.

"The PDEA 2014 annual report shows that out of the total of 13,792 drug personalities arrested that year two were manufacturers of illegal drugs, and another two were financiers of the illegal drug trade."

According to Marcos, lawmen should continue to pursue their normal anti-drug campaign against pushers and drug dens and increase their efforts in neutralizing big-time drug lords and drug syndicates operating in the country.

"Because after all what these drug pushers are doing is not just embarking upon illegal activities, what they are doing is victimizing and destroying the lives of young people," Marcos stressed.

Marcos said the effect of illegal drugs has huge implications for the country's future, citing the oft-repeated saying: "Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan".

"Kung wasakin ang buhay ng mga kabataan, wala tayong kinabukasan. There is no future, or at least there is no good future," Marcos lamented.

"The problem," according to Marcos, "is that drug lords have so much money that they can pay off corrupt government officials and lawmen."

To bolster the government's anti-drug campaign Marcos proposed additional support for lawmen in terms of funding, facilities, equipment and better training.

"The drug problem is something I think that we have allowed to grow and we have been negligent in focusing upon. I think it is time once again to go after the big guys," Marcos concluded.