STOP DEMONIZING PRESIDENT: PALACE

Palace hits Amnesty International for dismissing government’s move as mere public relations stunt

Malcañang yesterday slammed the international watch group Amnesty International (AI) for supposedly “demonizing” President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to assign the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as the sole agency to deal with the looming drug situation.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella hit AI for dismissing Duterte’s latest directive as a “mere public relations (PR) stunt.”

“The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which has been recently assigned by [Duterte] as the sole agency in charge of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, is now being demonized by Amnesty International,” Abella said in a statement.

“While Amnesty International is known to be disparaging of the frontline role of the PNP in the anti-illegal drug campaign, now it sees the relief of the agency as a mere public relations stunt,” he added.

The President signed an October 10 memorandum, designating the PDEA as the sole office to pursue the anti-drug raids and directing the Philippine National Police (PNP) to merely maintain visibility.

James Gomez, AI’s director of Southeast Asia and Pacific, downplayed Duterte’s move as a “shortterm PR” to squash the public’s indignation against the police drug operations that killed mostly “poor and children.”

He believed that deadly war on illegal drugs would continue even after the President stripped the PNP of its role in the government’s fight against narcotics trade.

“President Duterte has pulled police off drug perations once before, in January this year, only to reinstate them a few weeks later. We are concerned that this too may be nothing but a short-term PR move in response to growing public outrage about the drug war’s many victims, which are overwhelmingly poor, and include children,” Gomez said.

“The wave of unlawful killings, which may constitute crmes against humanity, will continue even if the shooters happen to be wearing different uniforms,” he added.

On Friday, Duterte admitted that he involuntarily issued the directive following the persistent attacks against his brutal drug war.

The President also warned the public of possible “dangers” now that the PDEA, which only has about 2,200 personnel, would get no support from other agencies, including the 175,000-strong PNP.

Abella merely shrugged off the AI official’s remark and stressed that the government would be unfazed by its apparent interference.

He said the current administration would continue with its resolve to push for a “crime and illegal drug-free nation,” despite criticisms thrown against Duterte.

“PDEA is the new object of AI’s and similar groups’ ire and vilification. Nevertheless, the government will proceed in its drive to make the Philippines a crime, corruption and illegal drug-free nation,” Abella said.

“We are hopeful that operations of this agency will not be jeopardized by the interference of outside agencies that fail to appreciate our desire, not for a drug-tolerant but drug-free nation,” he added. /