In a speech before the military on Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte said it might take him longer to solve the country's problem on illegal drugs.
The president admitted that he may have misjudged the severity of the problem.
"Nung piniga ko na ng piniga, nalaman ko to my horror, hindi ko alam ganun kalala," Duterte said.
"Di ko talaga akalain, kaya sabi ko 3-6 months."
[Translation: When I dug deeper into the problem, I found out to my horror, I wasn't expecting that it was that bad. I underestimated it, that's why I said (I can fix it) in 3-6 months.]
The President added, the problem is now encompassing, as the trade also shifted its ways.
"Ang droga, within government na ang away ngayon," he said.
"Makinig kayo ha, ngayon wala na masyado sa labas. But if you want to buy shabu, kung mag-negosyo ka, kailangan pumunta ka muna sa mga penal colonies," he explained.
[Translation: The problem now on drugs is within the government. Listen, there is not much trade outside at this point. But if you want to buy shabu, if you want to do drug business, you need to go to penal colonies.]
Duterte admitted that he himself is getting challenged on how to deal with the situation: "Pati ako hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang gagawin ko dito."
He also noted that his actions are being constrained by the technicalities of the laws of the land, expecially in dealing with known drug peddlers but not enough evidence against them.
"You cannot convict, apprehend, or prosecute a person. That is the technicality of the law that makes it hard for me to deal with the problem," Duterte said.
"Magdasal lang sila na hindi ako mabuwang. Kasi pag ako na ang nabuwang, ako na ang magdala ng M-16, may mga ano lang ako siguro dalawang patroller, ubos lahat yan. Tapos ang problema natin."
[Translation: They should just pray that I keep my sanity. Because if I go crazy, I will bring an M-16 myself, maybe two patrollers with me, and I will end this problem once and for all.]
Moreover, the President said the government is now thinking of ways to cut the ties of the prisoners in the penal colonies to the outside world.
Duterte recently ordered the replacement of the jail guards in the National Bilibid Prisons with the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and is now planning to put more cellphone jammers in the penal facilities.
Drug lords in the Philippine prisons are known to continue running their businesses through monile communications.
Source / Image: CNN Philippines
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