Senator: Iron fist a must to curb illegal drugs

SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian said that to curb the drug menace, a leader has to deal with it with strong hands.

“You cannot solve the problem by showing indecisiveness. You have to go with decisiveness and make sure that your message against illegal drugs is loud and clear,” said the senator, who visited Negros Occidental over the weekend.

Gatchalian was the guest speaker at the 2016 Joint National Convention of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (Nacusip), Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial Workers Union (Paciwu), Congress of Independent Organizations (CIO), and Fraternal Labor Organizations (FLO) held at Mambukal Resort in Murcia town Saturday.

He said that whenever he goes home to Valenzuela, he would ask his constituents, how and what they feel about the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte against illegal drugs.

He would always get a common answer that they feel safe, Gatchalian said.

That means the message of the President and the government is effective in terms of illegal drugs, he added.

Gatchalian, however, said the police should continue to investigate the vigilante killings.

The senator stressed that he does not agree with vigilante killings as it will promote the culture of impunity.

We need to act expeditiously and investigate all those killings, he added

The Senate is still conducting a hearing on the issue of extra-judicial killings presided by embattled Senator Leila de Lima, who chairs the committee on justice.

“We listen to testimonies and there is no conclusion yet,” he said.

On Duterte hurling accusations at the De Lima, Gatchalian said: “The President has the prerogative in relation to the information beyond what ordinary people will have. He has intelligence reports coming from different sources. So that is his prerogative to name people involved in these illegal actions. The next step should be the filing of cases already against all regardless (of his or her) stature.”

He added: “We have to be very mindful of the perception of the public because we don’t want the Senate to be affected by the acts of its members. We have to protect the institution and make sure that the institution is shielded from the individual acts of its members.”

“Having said that, that is why I am personally closely monitoring the situation and keeping my ears close to the ground and also trying to feel the sentiment of our people because at the end of the day, it is important that the Senate maintains its independence and credibility,” Gatchalian said.

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