MANILA, Philippines — What could the Philippines get if it seeks the United States and the United Nations’s assistance in fighting illegal drugs?

Nothing, at least according to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

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“Kasi, ano ang matututunan natin doon? Hindi nila alam ang problema sa Pilipinas,” Sotto told reporters when asked about Vice President Leni Robredo’s plan to meet with US embassy and UN official to discuss the government’s war on drugs.

(Because what do we gain from them? They don’t know the problems in the Philippines)

READ: Robredo to meet with UN execs to research on illegal drug issues

READ: Robredo open to US Embassy offer of assistance in PH drug war

“Meron silang sariling United States Drug Control Policy Program na yung iba patterned doon sa UN strategy pero ang UN, medyo as of now, the United Nations Office Of Drugs and Crime medyo hindi rin malinaw kung ano ang mga strategies,” Sotto said.

(They have their own United States Drug Control Policy Program where some of it were UN-patterned strategy but the UN, as of now, the strategies of the United Nations Office Of Drugs and Crime are not quite clear.)

“Okay lang, kanya-kanyang thinking yan. Kung sa tingin nila, makakatulong, then go ahead. My personal opinion, wala tayong mapapala doon,” the Senate leader added.

(It’s okay, we have our own opinion. If they think they can help, they go ahead. My personal opinion, we won’t get anything from them.)

Robredo now leads the campaign against illegal drugs after she was appointed co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) last week.

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Sotto said it would be better for agencies and groups not involved to not meddle in the ICAD’s work.

“…Hindi naman nila alam yung mga function ng ICAD eh. Ano yung pakikialam ng UN doon?”

(They don’t know anything about ICAD’s function. What’s the UN’s business there?)

“Perhaps what the Vice President [Robredo] means is research. Pero (but) as far as running the anti-illegal drugs and drug abuse program of the country, I don’t think we will learn from those groups,” Sotto said.

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