Cayetano Dares Escudero to Debate on Duterte's Vow to Solve Crime, Drugs and Corruption

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

5 April 2016

Cayetano dares Escudero to debate on Duterte's vow to solve crime, drugs and corruption in 6 months 

Vice Presidential bet Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano challenged fellow Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero to a one-on-one debate following a statement made by the latter that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo "Rody" Duterte's six-month target to stamp out crime, drugs and corruption is not realistic. Cayetano said that whoever loses in the debate should withdraw.

“To those who lack political will, nothing is possible. But to those who have a clear vision for real change and the strength of character to do what is right, any goal can be accomplished,” Cayetano said as he defended their tandem’s anti-crime and -corruption agenda. 

In an interview, Escudero told reporters that Duterte could not possibly fulfill his pledge of ending crime and corruption in just six months. “It can’t be done. Not within his term... The problems are too serious and deeply rooted that these cannot be easily defeated,” Escudero said. 

Cayetano, however, stressed that Escudero’s cynical attitude is an illustration of his “lack of conviction” to end the country’s pressing problems. 

“With all due respect to Sen. Escudero, I’d like to reiterate what I said before. Failure is guaranteed for those who do not even want to try,” Cayetano noted. “It’s frustrating to see our fellow public servants lack the passion and optimism to change the country. All the while, they continue to offer the same solutions that failed miserably in the past,” he added. 

Cayetano said amid the criticisms, he and Duterte stand firm on their commitment to fight crime and corruption in their first few months in office. “It will not be easy, but Mayor Duterte and I are ready to do it. Through our bold solutions, in six months’ time, we can make our streets safe again and cleanse our government of corrupt officials,” he stressed. 

This was not the first time Cayetano defended their tandem's proposed policies against Escudero’s criticisms. Back in January, Escudero also expressed disapproval of Duterte’s call for federalism. He said it would not work well in the Philippine setup, a statement which Cayetano dubbed as a “classic Manila-centric” attitude. 

"The very essence of Federalism is to ensure that growth and prosperity are spread to every part of the Philippines, not just in Manila. It's a pity that Senators Poe and Escudero are against this. Kawawa naman ang ibang parte ng bansa kung sila ang mamumuno," Cayetano earlier said. #

Duterte-Cayetano will not allow Philippines to become "Asia's Mexico"

Office of the Senate Majority Leader

Alan Peter S. Cayetano

Rm. 603 GSIS Complex Senate of the Philippines Roxas Blvd Pasay City

         

PRESS RELEASE

14 January 2016

Duterte-Cayetano will not allow country to become "Asia's Mexico," to go after local “El Chapos"

Presidential contender and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte said the country has no place for "El Chapos" as he reiterated his commitment to fight the problem of illegal drugs, magnified by international drug cartels operating in the country.

"El Chapo" is the alias of the dreaded Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman, leader of the Sinaloa drug cartel, who was recaptured on January 8 of this year after six months on the run following his escape from a Mexican prison.

"I will wipe out illegal drugs in 3-6 months. I will not allow our country to become Asia's Mexico. We will not become a narco-state,” said Duterte who explained that the country's drug problem has become a national security issue.

Duterte's Vice President, Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, added that he and Duterte have a comprehensive plan and stategy as well as the political will to win the war against illegal drugs. "With the help of the people, we will end the reign of drug lords and make our streets safe again for our people," he said.

On January 2015, Horacio Hernandez, a Mexican national suspected to be part of Guzman's drug cartel, was arrested by the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Force and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Makati City after selling P12 million worth of cocaine to undercover agents.

Last Tuesday, around P180 million worth of suspected “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride were seized in Valenzuela City from two Chinese-Filipino men, both believed to be members of the "Asia Drug Network," an international drug network operating in China, Philippines and Hongkong.

Duterte said the country's crime situation, particularly drug trafficking, has become so dire that no less than bold solutions and swift actions are necessary to end this debacle.

"We will not allow our country to become a Narco State like some countries in Latin America. We will reclaim our streets from the drug lords and criminals who have made them unsafe. We will bring the war to their doorsteps. If they want to play rough, I will redefine to them the meaning of 'rough,'" Duterte said, referring to criminals and drug syndicates.

Cayetano said that 92 percent of barangays in the National Capital Region (NCR) are infiltrated with drugs. He also said that 50 percent of those in jail are because of drug-related cases.

Cayetano said if elected, he and Duterte will round up the big-time drug lords of the country, local and international alike, by combining the elements of the military and the police and modernizing their crime-fighting strategies such as creating a national anti-crime hotline number similar to Davao's 911 emergency hotline.#

OTS Men face Probe over alleged Drug Smuggling in NAIA

By: Raoul Esperas, ABS CBN

MANILA – Several Office of Transportation Security (OTS) personnel are being investigated by the Manila International Airport Authority after a huge amount of cocaine was smuggled out of the country through the country's premier airport.

A high-ranking airport official told ABS-CBN News that airport officials were alarmed by the series of drug smuggling incidents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

These include the arrest of four Filipinas who were caught with 2.5 kilograms of cocaine in their luggage after arriving in Hong Kong.

READ: 4 Pinays slip out of NAIA with kilos of cocaine

Over the weekend, Thai Customs officials arrested two Thai nationals, identified as Siriwan Yodteerak and Aaew Wijit, after 2.6 kilograms of high-grade cocaine were found in a secret compartment in their luggage.

A report by the Bangkok Post said Siriwan left Manila through an AirAsia flight to Kuala Lumpur and boarded another plane at the Malaysian capital for a flight to Krabi, a southern province in Thailand. She arrived in Thailand on Sunday.
The report added that Siriwan's luggage which contained the cocaine was brought to Thailand on another flight. Siriwan was arrested when she came to claim her luggage, while Aaew was arrested at a hotel in Krabi.

Siriwan claimed she was paid 60,000 baht (P78,935) by Aaew's African boyfriend to smuggle the cocaine from the Philippines to Thailand. She said she had been offered several times by the African to become a drug mule but she declined all the offers.

TANIM-BALA

The reports of illegal drugs slipping out of the airport come as the OTS, an agency under the Department of Transportation and Communications, is under fire due to the series of alleged ''tanim-bala'' (bullet planting) incidents.
"How come OTS security screeners can detect a single bullet hidden in the luggage of OFW and other passengers but they mysteriously fail to detect the kilos of drugs inside hand-carried luggage of suspected drug mules?" asked the airport official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

READ: How victims are spotted in 'tanim-bala' modus

EXCL: 4 layer ng extortion ng 'tanim-bala'

The MIAA is now reviewing the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage at the airport to observe the movements of the 2 Thai nationals while they were at the NAIA Terminal 3.

During a Senate hearing this month, OTS administrator Roland Recomono explained that their x-ray machines at the NAIA cannot detect cocaine. He said the cocaine will only register as an "organic substance."

The screeners' expertise, on the other hand, is only limited to the prohibited items based on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), he said.

Senator Alan Cayetano, however, said the OTS can actually add items to ICAO's list, based onExecutive Order No. 311.