MANILA, Philippines — “Sa dalawang linggong yan, meron bang namatay na drug lord?”

(In two weeks, were there any drug lords killed?)

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This was Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s question following the two-week stint of Vice President Leni Robredo as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (ICAD).

“Sa dalawang linggong yan, meron bang namatay na drug lord? E yun ang gusto ng tao. Patayin ang mga drug lord. Kung hindi, hindi titigil ang mga yan. Kailangan patayin mo yung mga drug lord para tumigil ang droga,” Go said Monday in an interview at the Senate.

(In those two weeks, were there any drug lords killed? That’s what the people want. To kill the drug lords. If not, they will not stop. you need to kill the drug lords to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs.)

Go brought this up amid explaining why President Rodrigo Duterte decided to sack Robredo from her post.

“Papano mo pagkakatiwalaan yung mga pumoposiyong opposition at bibigyan mo ng napaka sensitibong trabaho bilang ICAD chair?” Go said.

(How can you trust an opposition and give them sensitive work as ICAD chair?)

“At maraming sensitibong impormasyon ang nandyan na aalamin mo tapos ipapasa mo ngayon sa ibang bansa. Icocompromise mo ngayon yung mga law enforcers at saka yung mga nagttrabaho labanan ang illegal na droga. In short, walang tiwala si Pangulong Duterte,” he added.

(There is much sensitive information that you should know yet you share this with another country. You will compromise our law enforcers and everyone who is working to fight illegal drugs. In short, President Duterte has no trust.)

Duterte fired Robredo as ICAD’s co-chair, just two weeks after she accepted the appointment.

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“Itong kampanya laban sa droga, kailangan kamay na bakal. Hindi pedeng puro talk lang tayo dito, puro storya kailangan takutin mo talaga mga yan, kailangan patayin. Kundi walang mangyayari sa ating bansa,” Go said.

(This war against drugs needs an iron fist. It cannot be all talk. You need to taunt them, kill them [drug lords]. If not, nothing will happen to our country.)

Meanwhile, the Vice President said she would soon report to the public what she has discovered during her stint as part of the government’s anti-drug body.

Edited by JPV

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