BRUSHING aside allegations of extrajudicial killings in the conduct of the Duterte administration’s vaunted ‘war on drugs’, recently proclaimed president Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. enthused that outgoing chief executive Rodrigo Roa Duterte can take part in his administration’s policy against illegal drugs by becoming government’s ‘drug czar’ who would lead the campaign.
In a media briefing, the son of the late president Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. was asked about the possibility of Duterte joining his government and the former senator quickly answered that the former Davao City mayor was very much welcome to help his administration.
“If he wants to,” Marcos replied. “I’m sure if he wants to play a part, he would tell me. I am certainly open to that.”
The president-in-waiting, however, clarified that he has not discussed it with the outgoing leader yet, saying that (they) have not talked about it (yet). “But I am open to anyone who is able to help in the government. We have been friends, even when he was still the mayor a long time ago,” he pointed out even as he recalled that Duterte had once asked him to continue his anti-narcotics campaign before the presidential elections took place.
“We talked about the things he wanted me to continue. That is the request that is so important to him. Still, of course, his priority is the anti-drug problem. One thing he was assertive, (though), was (about) pursuing anti-drug syndicate(s) which he started.
Duterte, he said, even advised him to “do it your own way.” “Our youth will be miserable, their lives would be ruined, if you will discontinue it,” Marcos also cited from his conversation with his predecessor.
