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[av_heading heading=’Alan slams critics: War on drugs not anti-poor’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
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MANILA – Alan Peter Cayetano seeks to disprove claims that the government’s drug war is anti-poor.
The anti-illegal drugs campaign wants to alleviate poverty by defending the poor from the high degrees of drug activity in their communities, clarified the senator who ran as President Rodrigo Duterte’s vice president in the last election.
“The war on drugs is a program to get people out of poverty. Because no family with a drug addict as a brother, son, or father can get out of poverty. If we have three million addicts, that means we have three million families with a problem,” Cayetano said.
He likewise defended the heightened police presence in urban poor areas, saying it aims to get rid of neighbourhood drug pushers.
“The poor have become common victims of the drug pushers. When they become hooked on drugs, they engage in other crimes to sustain their vices. If the government will not intensify its drug operations, the poor will continue to be exploited by the drug pushers. The poor cannot defend themselves, they need us most,” the senator from Taguig said.
Meanwhile, Cayetano asked international groups to help the Philippine government win its campaign against illegal drugs, instead of criticizing its aggressive war on drugs.
International funders should consider providing the police with the necessary bullet-proof vests and body cameras to make their operations more transparent and to avoid cases of human rights of violations, according to the senator.
He also invited human rights groups to the country to “see for themselves” how the campaign against illegal drugs is keeping the communities safe.
“It is not to criticize but to show you that in a multicultural world and with different socioeconomic backgrounds and different drugs, you can’t judge us simply from your point of view. Come over and see what’s happening,” Cayetano ended./PN
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