SENATOR Risa Hontiveros on Thursday questioned the Philippine National Police's (PNP) plan to resume the Oplan Tokhang and go on with the government's war on drugs.
r"Kung sinasabi ngayon na sisimulan ulit yung Oplan Tokhang, Bakit? Discredited po na stratehiya yan, hindi lang sa ating bansa, pati sa lahat ng bansa na sumubok ng isang bayolenteng war on drugs (If they say they plan to resume the Oplan Tokhang, Why? It is a discredited strategy not only in the country but also all of the countries who tried the violent war on drugs)," Hontiveros said.
A compassionate and cost-effective solution must be implemented to combat drugs, and not' through a violent and wrong way', which she said, would only add to the rising drug operation-related deaths and vigilante killings.
In Cagayan de Oro, the police is already gearing up for the resumption of Tokhang, noting that they are now drafting new strategies on how to execute the government's war on drugs, this time, including re-constituting the City Anti-Illegal Drug Task Force (CAIDTF).
Hontiveros also weighed in on the possible revival of death penalty, and reiterated her stand against this.
"Hindi din deterrent ang death penalty sa heinous crimes, ang deterrent is ang pagbibigay ng hustisya na mahuli at ma-prosecute yung mga may-sala," she said.
"Ang sagot ay yung reform and modernize the criminal justice system, ng ating PNP, prosecuting arm, and judiciary," she added.
Hontiveros was in the city yesterday to speak in front of students on her stand against death penalty at the Capitol University.
She also graced the first Health Summit of the city as guest speaker.