Duterte asks Congress backing for war against illegal drugss
President Rodrigo Duterte has asked Congress' support on his war against illegal drugs.
Duterte called for a "mini-LEDAC (Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council)" on Monday night which was attended by the leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, said Presidential Legislative Liaison Office chief Adelino Sitoy.
A high-ranking official in Malacanang, who refused to be named, said Duterte took the opportunity to seek for the lawmakers' help on his intensified campaign against illegal drugs.
"The discussion was more on war on drugs," the source said.
Sitoy said the attendees in the meeting agreed to hold the LEDAC executive committee meeting on December 5.
"Between now and December 5 will be the submission of the list of priorities," he said.
Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said other priorities, quoting Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III were income tax reform package including reduction of income tax per individual, anti-money laundering law amendments, budget reform bill and government rightsizing bill.
Among those who attended the meeting were Pimentel, Senators Vicente Sotto III, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Emmanuel Pacquiao, Ralph Recto, Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Cynthia Villar, and Juan Edgardo Angara.
House Speaker Panteleon Alvarez led the congressmen in attending the mini-LEDAC.
The LEDAC, which began under former President Fidel Ramos in 1992, was not convened by Benigno Aquino when he was president from 2010 to 2016.
Among the LEDAC’s functions under law is to provide policy advice to the president and study measures to improve effective implementation of official development assistance. Celerina Monte/DMS
