The full force of the law will be applied on public officials and members of the academe proven to be involved in the illegal drug trade, Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs, said Saturday.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 6 reported recently that there are members of the academe and even public officials in Western Visayas who are into the illegal drugs trade.
“Fast and consistent due process must be applied to all violators, especially for the members of the academe, who are supposed to be teaching the future generation of the country”, Honasan said at a press conference at L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City.
Honasan said that the problem of illegal drugs boils down to the issue of good parenthood, because parents should know who their children’s peers are and whether they are good or bad influences. The sad reality, however, is that not all parents can properly guide their children as most of them are often at work, he said.
The Senate, through his committee, is preparing to amend Republic Act 9165 or the Anti-Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to introduce new provisions, he said.
Among the provisions to be introduced is the creation of illegal drug courts and the revision of Section 21 or the handling of evidence as this is one of the major reasons why most drug cases are being dismissed, the senator said.
Honasan is also not in favor of legalizing marijuana propagation in the Ifugao province as an alternative to morphine, as proposed by Gov. Eugene Balitang.
While marijuana has proven to have medicinal value, the fact remains that it has dangerous and negative effects to the person using it, he said.*APN
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