PRESIDENT OF PHILIPPINES LAUNCHES ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN WITH FIERY SPEECH

MANILA, Philippines - In a fiery speech, President Joseph
Estrada launched his administration's biggest anti-drug campaign by
vowing to bring drug traffickers to "hell."

Drug trafficking is punishable with death in the Philippines.

"I do not promise you hell. I will bring you there," Estrada said in a
message to drug dealers.

In the speech, he acknowledged it was difficult to go after
masterminds in the illegal drug trade because they are rich,
well-connected and have many friends "even in government."

"But they will have to crawl out of their holes. When they do, the law
will prevail and we will get them," he said.

The government is bringing the war against illegal drugs to the
grassroots by organizing anti-drug abuse councils in every village,
said Jewel Canson, director of the National Drug Law Enforcement and
Prevention Coordinating Center.

More than 18,000 such councils have been established so far, Canson
said.

Estrada has said he will not grant any clemency to drug traffickers
among the more than 1,000 convicts on death row. So far, no convicted
drug traffickers have been executed.

Estrada said about 6,000 of the country's nearly 42,000 villages are
affected by the drug menace and seven percent of youths aged 15-to-29
have been exposed to drugs.

Authorities say many crimes are drug-related. About 1.7 million
Filipinos are hooked on various illegal drugs, according to Canson.

Estrada urged parents not to allow any opportunity for their children
to use drugs and to help bring users to rehabilitation centers.

In the Philippines, the most commonly abused drug is crystal
methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as "shabu." It also
called "ice" and is regarded as the poor man's cocaine.

Most of the drug is smuggled from China.