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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Friday, November 10, 2017
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MANILA – Sen. Vicente Sotto III suggested using the mega drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija for drug law enforcement education.
The 100,000-square meter Fort Magsaysay facility may be “put to optimum use,” according to Sotto, a former Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chair.
“The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) can oversee it as it can be made as an extension of the present PDEA Academy,” said Sotto. “With that size, we could produce a thousand agents per batch.”
“Alongside PDEA, other agencies such as Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, Philippine National Police, and National Bureau of Investigation can avail [themselves] of the drug interdiction training program,” he added.
Dionisio Santiago, who recently resigned as DDB chief, earlier said building the facility, funded by a Chinese business tycoon, was a “mistake.”
The money used in the construction could have been used to fund smaller community-based rehabilitation programs, said Santiago.
Santiago resigned on the order of President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly relayed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
Before leaving for Vietnam to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit, Duterte admitted that Santiago’s comment “offended” him.
Sotto said the government may also tap China, the United States and Australia for drug-related police training.
“[The Nueva Ecija facility] can be like the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok,” the senator said.
Malacañang was open to Sotto’s suggestion.
“We welcome the suggestion of [Sotto],” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement on Thursday.
The long-term goal of the government was to make use of the facility for other purposes, Roque said.
“Our long-term vision is once the drug problem has been resolved, this can be turned over to the military who owns the land or other agencies of government that can utilize, manage and optimize the facility,” he added. (With PNA/PN)
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