• Drug war nets a million mark surrenderers
• From the Office of the Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Surrenderers Breach Million Mark
• President Duterte visits Hilongos bomb attack victims

This figure alone makes the President’s anti-drug war a “success,” says Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

“It is evident we are hitting the mark in our campaign against illegal drugs. But more than the statistics, the real score in the government’s intensified anti-drug operations is that it has pulled down the country’s crime rate by 32%,” Secretary Andanar pointed out, citing the latest report from the PNP.

Secretary Andanar attributed the President’s high satisfaction, approval and trust ratings from his successful anti-drug war which resulted in lower crimes.

“People feel safer in the streets and at night because the number of theft, carjacking, robbery, rape, physical injury has decreased. At the end of the day, this is what counts,” Andanar added.

As of 6 a.m. on Saturday, December 31, a total of 1,007,153 drug personalities have yielded to the authorities since July 1 to date. Of this figure, 74,916 were pushers and 932,237 were users.

“These pushers and users voluntarily surrendered through the continuous efforts and relentless operations of the PNP to curtail illegal drug trades in the country, which is in line with President Duterte’s directive.”

Out of the 40,371 anti-drug operations conducted by the PNP from July 1 to December 31 under Project Double Barrel Alpha, 43,114 were arrested and 2,167 were neutralized.

Moreover, a total of 5,911,306 houses have been visited in the same period through Oplan Tokhang, wherein police personnel knock on the houses of suspected drug personalities and ask them to mend their ways.

Treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts form part of the second phase of the President’s anti-drug war. The Duterte administration has recently inaugurated a mega drug rehabilitation facility in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija and expects treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts to be in full gear by 2017.###MARO-CONTENT

Without a doubt the President’s anti-drug war is a success. It is evident we are hitting the mark in our campaign against illegal drugs. But more than statistics, the real score in the government’s intensified anti-drug operations is that it has pulled down the country’s crime rate by 32%.

It is therefore not surprising that the people’s satisfaction, approval and trust of the President remain high. People feel safer in the streets and at night because the number of theft, carjacking, robbery, rape, physical injury has decreased. At the end of the day, this is what counts. Thus, there will be no let-up and we shall continue to seize the momentum until the last drug pusher is out of the street.

Alongside the successful police operations is the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts. We have already moved on with the second phase of the drug war with the inauguration of the mega drug rehabilitation facility in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija. We expect this to be in full gear by 2017 as we shift from the national security mode into the public health mode in our war against illegal drugs.

The President visited the Hilongos District Hospital and provided financial assistance and scholarship to the graduating students who were among the victims of the bombing.

Out of the 33 injured in the explosion, 27 people were treated in the Hilongos District Hospital. Three more were rushed to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in Tacloban City, and another three were brought to the Living Hope Hospital in Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

Two out of three IEDs left by suspected drug gang members exploded at the Hilongos Town Plaza during a live boxing match, which was part of the town fiesta celebration. There were no reported deaths as a result of the blast.

Meanwhile, President Duterte extended his warmest New Year greetings to the Filipino nation hoping that during the holiday the people will demonstrate love, solidarity and optimism towards personal and national aspirations.

As the country transitions to a new year, the President said in his New Year message Saturday that its time for people in government to evaluate their work and make sure that its gains benefit the Filipinos.

“I invite everyone to be our government’s partner in our fight against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption; and in attaining peace and development in our country,” he said.

“Let us work together to enliven our business environment – by attracting more investments and creating more job opportunities for our people – so that in the near future, working abroad would only be an option for our kababayans and not a necessity.”

Achieving these goals will reclaim order and safety in the community and will enable the administration to restore the public’s trust in government, the President said.

“Let us welcome 2017 with renewed determination and reinvigorated spirit so that we can surmount the challenges ahead,” he said.###PND