“THEY will all rot in jail.”

This warning made jointly by Mayor Rody Duterte and Senator Alan Peter Cayetano early last week was reiterated to The PUNCH by the latter in an exclusive interview last Friday.

The stern warning was issued earlier by the PDP-Laban party’s tandem for president and vice president, to public officials engaged in illegal drugs after the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confirmed the existence of “narcopolitics” in the country, citing the arrests in 2015 of close to 200 government officials who were allegedly involved in illegal drug trafficking.

He said PDEA’s announcement deeply alarmed him and Mayor Duterte prompting the latter to further pledge “I will not allow our people to be governed by ‘narcopoliticians’. If elected, in the first year of my term as president with Sen. Cayetano, I will detoxify the government of these criminals and send them all to jail.”

Mr. Duterte earlier pledged that he and Mr. Cayetano will seek to stop illegal drug distribution in the country within six months with an effective police force whose salaries he said he will seek to upgrade and equip better.

Mr. Cayetano said the growing presence of drug lords in the country, including foreign drug cartels, pose a serious threat not only to the health of young citizens but to values and stability of foundation of families in the country.

He said reports of barangay chairmen in Pangasinan tolerating illegal drug trade should be a cause for serious worry for town and city officials particularly because PDEA has consistently identified Pangasinan as both a major transshipment point and distribution center catering to a growing demand.

The senator said he will also seek further amendment of the Juvenile Justice law following the arrest of a 15-year-old boy pusher in Dagupan City. He said 15-year-old offenders caught committing a major crime must not be exempted from coverage of penal justice.

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