Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguiire II on Friday has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)  to leave to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) all operations against illegal drugs, as mandated by the memorandum of President Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 10, as normally directed PDEA to take charge of the anti-drug campaign.

“The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is instructed to leave to the PDEA all operations against illegal drugs. All information/data received shall, without delay, be relayed, delivered or brought to the attention of the PDEA for its appropriate action,” Department Order No. 670 reads.

Mr, Duterte on Friday said that he would no longer interfere in anti-drug operations and orders the military and the police to take their hands off during operations.

“Ako, I will not anymore interfere. Pagka ngayon talaga, hindi hugas kamay, ayaw ko talaga, hindi ako naghugas, ayaw ko na. Pulis, huwag na kayong makialam. Military, huwag na kayong makialam,” he said in a taped interview on PTV4 aired on Friday.

(In will no longer interfere. I am not washing my hands. I don’t want to be involved anymore. Police, do not meddle. Military, do not meddle.)

“Pagka drug operation sabi ko sa pulis, huwag kayong makialam. Pag may habulan diyan at nagsabi droga ito, umalis kayo. Hayaan mo sila,” he added.

(If there are drug operations, I said to the police, do not interfere. If you see a chase and say it is drugs, you leave. Let them be.)

Contrary to this, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella on Friday had affirmed that PDEA “still have access to any agency and they can actually resource whatever support they need from all other agencies that are available.”

“Alam mo bakit? ‘Yun ang gusto ninyo, kasi pinagbibintangan ninyo ang gobyerno, halos lahat,” he said, adding the recent criticisms that his administration receives on the alleged extrajudicial killings made by the implementation of his Oplan Tokhang campaign.

(You know why? This is what you want, you are blaming the government for everything)

“Pero ngayon, kung sino man ang may negosyo niyan, okay na kayo, hindi rin ako makialam. Buhay ka pa naman, gusto mo to continue but you have to contend with PDEA,” he added, assuring the narco-politicians that they can go back their illegal doings as he promised to take his hands off the operations.

(Now, those who have [drug] business, you’re okay now. I won’t meddle. You’re still alive, you want to continue but you have to contend with PDEA)

Although Mr. Duterte is confident that PDEA chief Aaron N. Aquino will do their job properly, he still doubts that the drug campaign will win as they have less than 2,000 personnel in the agency.

“Ako (me), frankly? We’ll lose it, he said. — Rosemarie A. Zamora and  Andrea Louise E. San Juan

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