(Eagle News) — Malacañang on Saturday blasted Amnesty International for what it said were its “vilification” efforts against the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
“The (PDEA), which has been now recently assigned by (President Rodrigo Duterte) as the sole agency in charge of the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign, is now being demonized by (AI),” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said.
He noted that the group, which was “known to be disparaging of the frontline role of the (Philippine National Police) in the anti-illegal drug campaign, now..sees the relief of the agency as a mere public relations stunt.”
Nevertheless, he said the government “will proceed in its drive to make the Philippines a crime, corruption, and illegal drug-free nation.”
“We are hopeful that operations of this agency will not be jeopardized by the interference of outside agencies that fail to appreciate our desire, not for a drug-tolerant, but for a drug-free nation,” he said.