Lacson: Duterte should now focus on economy

President Rodrigo Duterte should now focus on the economy and let law enforcement agencies handle the country's war against illegal drugs, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Monday.

“Mechanical na ang anti-drug campaign. Kaya na ng pulis at PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] ‘yan. Maliwanag naman ang kanyang marching orders, ‘di na kailangan ulit-ulitin pa,” Lacson told reporters.

He said the President should now address the inflation rate which is expected to further rise.

“Ang hinaharap nating mas malaking problema ang economy kasi ang inflation pumalo nitong August ng 5.9 percent. Ang projection hahataw ng 6 percent pagdating September to October,” he said.

“So dapat mag-refocus naman na kalampagin naman niya ang economic managers, hindi naka-focus na lang lagi sa illegal drugs and related issues,” the senator added.

Data released by the Department of Finance (DOF) on Monday showed that inflation likely accelerated at its fastest pace in more than nine years in August at 5.88 percent.

Lacson said there may be no food crisis in the country now but if the prices of basic commodities continue to rise, there may be instances in the future when the poor could no longer access even the basic food.

“Sinasabi nila walang food crisis pero kapag sobrang taas ang bilihin pati isda, lahat halos ng basic food sa table e hindi na kinakayang bilhin ng mga lalo na ang sobrang mahirap nating kababayan. Puwede natin sabihin na kung wala mang food crisis pa, malapit na tayo magkaroon ng food crisis kasi tumataas ang bilihin,” he said.