BARBERS PROPOSES LIM TO HEAD ILLEGAL DRUGS COMMITTEE IN SENATE (JS)

Former senator Robert Z. Barbers said recently that his choice to lead the
committee on public order and illegal drugs must have the expertise and the
heart to continue to take on the challenge in the country's war on illegal
drugs.

Barbers, the principal author of R.A. 9165, as the Comprehensive Dangerous
Drugs Act of 2002, said he hopes that the fight against the drug menace in
the halls of Senate must be handled by a legislator who has the broad
experience and proficiency on this controversial sphere of society. R.A.
9165 was responsible for the creation of the Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA).

The former police officer would like to back and support former Manila
mayor and retired police general and now Sen. Alfredo Lim to chair the
committee on public order and illegal drugs, which Barbers used to lead.

"It is a known fact that the Arroyo administration is winning the war
against illegal drugs and in the next six years of her fresh mandate, there
must be a good ally in the legislative branch of government to pursue this
crusade against illegal drugs that would result in an improved peace and
order situation in the country and give foreign investor confidence, giving
better job opportunities to our people," Barbers said.

Barbers added that having worked under Lim during his stint at the Western
Police District (WPD) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), he
knows that Lim is a doer and knows the complexities of the illegal drug
trade to continue looking for ways and means to stop this menace.

More than a year ago, Barbers created a stir when he offered to resign from
the Senate to once and for all seriously tackle the illegal drug trade in
the country as a result of a dramatic increase in drug-related crimes that
hugged the limelight. Barbers was about to be appointed as the government's
"drug czar" by President Arroyo, but begged off when he was not allowed to
resign from the Senate.

Barbers and Lim were fearless drug busters from their days at the WPD and
the NBI that resulted in the neutralization of many big-time drug lords and
their syndicates. Lim ran in the Senate race under the opposition and won.

"Through the years, it has been proven that the problem on illegal drugs
affects practically all age groups and cuts across all social classes. It
has become a profound social dilemma and has morpheme into one of the
biggest headaches of the government. Now that my case in Comelec on the
wisdom for the premature proclamation of the winner for the 12th place in
the Senate race is still in question, I am sure that Senator Lim will be a
valuable partner in Congress to pursue the quest to crush all the big-time
illegal drug syndicates that victimize hapless innocents of society,"
Barbers said.