from the FREEMAN
CEBU, Philippines - Former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman and senatorial bet Vicente “Tito” Sotto III yesterday refuted reports that while he claims he is a Cebuano, he has done nothing for Cebu.
“In my projects, we spent a total of about P23 million in Cebu. In other projects naman, I built the only women and children crisis center in the Philippines here in Cebu. I doubt if there is any senator who has that anywhere in the Philippines,” Sotto said.
Sotto launched yesterday his campaign in Cebu tracing roots here and reminding the Cebuanos that much work has yet to be done to solve the problem of prohibited drugs especially as Cebu, according to statistics, is the most problematic next to National Capital Region in terms of drug dependency.
Sotto kicked off his campaign with a Mass at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral at 10 a.m.
“The best thing to do in any undertaking is to ask for God’s blessing and start on the right foot. My roots are here because my great grand father is always a Cebuano. He has helped built Cebu along with the Osmeñas,” he said.
He added that he chose to launch his campaign here because he is inspired by the support he is getting from the Cebuanos.
“According to surveys, malakas ako dito e. So it’s better to start where you are strong,” he said.
He said that he also created the first alternative development program against marijuana eradication under the DDB which was piloted in Balamban town, Cebu.
He also authored various laws like the law allowing Filipinos abroad to vote through absentee voting and the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Code that was created to protect small fishermen against big commercial fishing companies.
“Before that code was enacted, anybody can fish anywhere. Kaya nga napapabayaan yung mga fishing areas e. With the code, bawal na ang commercial fishing in the areas where the regular fishermen fish. Like the first three miles, bawal. They can only fish five miles radius away from the shore,” he said.
Sotto also pushed for the creation of family courts and the creation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“Sa lahat nang yo’n, the most important thing is the concern. My concern for Cebu. Because I found out when I became DDB chairman that Cebu is the number one problem in illegal drugs after NCR as statistics showed. Talagang I was so worried and concerned that’s why I immediately embarked not only in prevention program, eradication, rehabilitation and enforcement,” Sotto said.
Sotto was senator from 1992 to 1998 and from 1998 to 2004.
He said that he is running because he has an advocacy which is eradicating illegal drugs in contrary to other candidates who only create an advocacy because they are running. Sotto is now pushing for the institutionalization of a special court that will handle all drug-related cases exclusively to solve the problem of case dragging in the Regional Trial Courts.
He said 1.7 million Filipinos are drug dependents, 50 percent of them use shabu, of which each consumes one gram per week. One gram of shabu is P8,000 to 12,000.
"This is a billion-peso or even a billion-dollar industry. That’s why they make it very available to you," he said.
In his speech, Sotto said the country may have ranked fifth in the world for having the most number of arrests in relation to the illegal use of shabu, but it is still threatened with the coming in of heroin and cocaine.
Sotto said the interception of two shipments of cocaine in Davao and another in Samar proved that the said drug "is starting to come here."
He said that while shabu and marijuana operations can be easily controlled by the DDB and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the case of cocaine and heroin is another thing.
"It's a far different cartel if you fight the cartel of cocaine and heroin," he said, saying that there are another groups of people behind this business.
Sotto warned that Cebu must also be "vigilant" especially with its long shores that are believed to be the entries of shipments from the different parts of the world.
“I am also proposing for the creation of the National Penitentiary for Drugs. Lahat ng drug pushers na mako-convict, ihihiwalay natin, hindi na sa Muntinlupa para kulong na kulong. Dapat walang cell site so they cannot operate,” he said.
He said that what is happening right now, in Quezon City and even in Muntinlupa, that drug dealers are still earning by making the prisoners their market.
“This combination that I am proposing will tremendously reduce the drug problems. Once they are jailed, they are incarcerated from society,” he said. –Jessica Ann R. Pareja and Liv G. Campo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)
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