US backs Robredo in PH drug war
Credit to Author: THE MANILA TIMES| Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2019 07:36:46 +0000
THE US is ready to support Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo in her “new role” as head of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, its envoy to the Philippines said on Friday.
“Congratulations to Vice President @Leni Robredo on her new role as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs,” US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said on Twitter.
“We look forward to continuing to work together as #FriendsPartnersAllies to support Philippine government drug demand reduction efforts,” Kim tweeted.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin on Wednesday said Robredo must prepare her participation in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) review now that she has accepted the task to lead the Philippine government’s war on drugs.
“TY (Thank you), Leni. Now get your team together to attend UNODC review in Vienna,” Locsin said on Twitter on Wednesday night.
“I’ll get USDEA (United States Drug Enforcement Administration) cooperation as well. They’re toughest and best. No sissy stuff — just go out there,” Locsin tweeted.
Established in 1997 through a merger between the United Nations Drug Control Program and the Center for International Crime Prevention, the UNODC is a global leader in the fight against illicit drugs and international crime.
Sen. Leila de Lima is confident that Robredo could send government’s drug war “into right direction.”
The senator has expressed support fir Robredo’s decision “to co-chair the committee against illegal drugs to ensure the government’s success in winning the anti-narcotics campaign.”
De Lima said Robredo’s acceptance of President Rodrigo Duterte’s designation as co-chairman of ICAD “would legitimize the right policies against illegal drugs.” BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO