President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday announced that drugs are prevalent in Batangas and Lucena, putting ‘red flags’ on the two cities in the government’s drug map.

“Dalawang bagay lang po. Talagang sabi ko, pupunta ako ng Batangas. Please do not be offended. Tutal para sa bayan man ‘to at wala ho akong tinutukoy na tao dito. I talk on general terms,” the President said during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) campaign rally in Batangas City.

“But apparently, Lucena and Batangas right now appear to be with red flags in the map sa drug scene,” he added.

In his remarks, Duterte renewed his commitment to combat illegal narcotics in the country, warning those behind it that their days are numbered.

According to Duterte, many people in the cities of Lucena and Batangas are uncooperative and do not believe in the government, citing a survey that the administration did, which makes the two cities a haven for criminals and their cohorts.

“May mga lugar na kung saan alam namin nandiyan sila. Ang survey is galit sa gobyerno. Wala akong pakialam. Ako po’y hindi na makatakbo. Dead-end na ako dito sa tatlong taon. Kayo ang may problema, hindi ako,” the President said.

Duterte also noted that the drug problem in the country has worsened compared to the time of his predecessors due to the vulnerability of our nation’s borders.

He explained that during the previous administration, illegal drugs reaching the Philippines were worth millions. Currently, illegal narcotics being dumped in the country are worth billions.

He also underscored that fighting illegal drugs is a gargantuan task due to the increasing international drug cartels from Latin America and Asia.

“Klase-klase ‘yan…mga Thai…lahat na…China. Not the country but the citizens. ‘Yung mga gangster nila. Kaya hirap tayo,” he said.

Duterte then warned local officials, especially around 44,000 barangay captains involved in illegal drugs, that his government would be relentless in its anti-drug campaign.

“Maaabutan ko rin. Maniwala ka, maabutan ko rin kayo. May three years pa ako. Ubusin ko talaga kayong lahat para wala ng problema ‘yung next generation. Prangka-prangka tayo,” he said. PND