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Vice President Leni Robredo should expound on her suggestion to curb narcotics addiction through a health-based approach if she rejects her appointment as co-chair of a government committee against illegal drugs, House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday.

"Either tanggapin mo, Ma'am, at hingin mo ang tulong ng lahat... or hindi mo tanggapin, pero maglatag kayo ng plano sa droga. Either way, magiging win-win ito para sa bansa at Vice President Leni if magiging clear iyong stand niya sa drug war," he told radio DZMM.

(Either accept that, ma'am, and ask for everybody's help or reject it but lay our a drug plan. Either way, this will be a win-win for the country and Vice President Leni if her stand on the drug war will be clear.)

Robredo last month urged the administration to "step back and assess" its anti-narcotics drives as, based on President Rodrigo Duterte's speeches, the number of drug dependents was rising.

"Parang we are heavy on the justice approach. Tingin ko as far as the drug addicts are concerned, dapat health approach e. It's an addiction," she told ANC's Headstart.

(It seems we are heavy on the justice approach. I think as far as the drug addicts are concerned, it should be a health approach.)

"Hindi naman ini-explain iyong health-based approach," said Cayetano, who lost to Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential race.

(The health-based approach was not explained.)

"Kasi sa abroad, kasama rito iyong magkakaroon ka ng mga lugar na safe zone na pwedeng mag-inject ang mga droga na clean needles saka legalization ng drugs. Iyon ba ang ibig niyang sabihin? I don't know," he added.

(Abroad, this includes the creation of safe spaces where drugs can be injected with clean needles and the legalization of drugs. Did she mean that?)

DZMM, November 6, 2019