Bishop, congressman: Arroyo drug czar appointment funny... like a teleserye
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/14/2009 10:09 AM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said Wednesday that President Arroyo's self-appointment as anti-drug czar on Tuesday can be compared to a teleserye (Filipino soap opera).
In a dzMM report, Cruz expressed doubt the President will be able to perform her duties as anti-drug czar. With the her frequent domestic and international trips, Cruz said Mrs. Arroyo only made the announcement to make the public perceive her as a "working President."
The archbishop said that Mrs. Arroyo should have appointed other officials as anti-drug czar instead of taking the title for herself. He stressed that Mrs. Arroyo can just assign Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Dionisio Santiago to the post, especially with his dedication and seriousness in the campaign against illegal drugs.
The only thing that an anti-drug czar needs, Cruz said, is the full support of the President.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo said she will act as the government's temporary anti-drugs czar amid the bribery issue affecting the PDEA and the Department of Justice. She urged local government units, nongovernment organizations and the academe to support government initiatives to remove the drug problem.
PDEA agent official Major Ferdinand Marcelino earlier said state prosecutors were offered up to P50 billion in bribes to dismiss the case of "Alabang Boys" Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph, and Joseph Tecson, who are said to be top-level drug peddlers with links to an international narcotics syndicate.
'Partly a gimmick'
Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro "Teddy" Casino, meanwhile, said he found it "funny" that President Arroyo resorted to appointing herself as anti-drug czar. The gesture, he said, may just be part of the President's "gimmick."
"This may partly be a gimmick, or a form of packaging and propaganda for the President. Secretary Sotto has already mentioned all measures and plans of action that the President announced yesterday (Tuesday). So there's nothing new about that. That's why I found it funny how she appointed herself as czar when it's clear when it comes to what should be done," Casino said in an interview with ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda.
He added: "What's quite funny is for you to appoint yourself as a czar. You know a czar exists at the time of kings and queens in Russia."
Casiño, however, made it clear that while he does not agree with Mrs. Arroyo’s latest announcement, he said the drug problem in the country needs her attention.
"I believe the President has enough power and authority to do what needs to be done without giving another title for herself. But I think something must be done about this," he said. "Maybe the President just wants to have an impact, to make it appear that she's on top of the situation.”
Anti-corruption czar?
Aside from the drug problem, Casiño said Mrs. Arroyo should also seriously act on the government’s graft and corruption problem. He, however, doubts the President can make another self-appointment.
"During the House hearing on the Alabang Boys, the big issue there, really, is graft and corruption, the issue on bribery. And when we talk about bribery, we don't just talk about drugs. So in this case, what we need is an anti-corruption czar. But maybe the President will have a hard time appointing herself as such since no one might believe in her," he said.
Santiago and other PDEA officials had said that apart from the “Alabang Boys’ case, several drug cases involving big personalities have also been dismissed by the DOJ.
The PDEA chief had been complaining about the DOJ’s dismissal of Cai Qing Hai’s case. The Chinese national is also wanted for alleged drug trafficking activities in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Cai was arrested by PDEA operatives on Oct. 30, 2007, after a raid on a suspected shabu laboratory in Pagsawitan, Sta. Cruz town in Laguna province. The Chinese national’s case was dismissed for insufficiency in evidence. With a report from Junry Hidalgo, dzMM
