BARBERS: APPLY FULL FORCE OF LAW TO DEAL DANGEROUS DRUG PROBLEM

Alarmed by the seemingly unabated proliferation of illegal drugs,
despite government's intensified crackdown against narcotics, Senator
Robert Barbers said yesterday that the nearly R3 billion worth of
drugs seized and destroyed since October of last year merely confirms
that the drug problem is posing a "clear and present danger" to the
country.

The huge amount of drug money, he said, is more than enough for drug
syndicates to buy political power by financing candidates in the
upcoming polls to further perpetuate their nefarious criminal activities.

Echoing President Arroyo's directive to grant no compromise to drug
lords and their protectors, Barbers went a step further saying that
"drug syndicates and their cohorts in the military, police and public
service should be dealt with the full force of law".

"Considering the heinousness of crimes spawned by illegal drugs,
high-profile drug lords should be harshly punished. No less than the
Chief Executive minced no word exempting them from death thru lethal
injection. Thus, it's high time to enforce our laws to curb the
rampant drug menace," Barbers said, adding that the future is
"dreadful and bleak" for the 52 million youth who are helplessly being
victimized by remorseless narco-criminals.

Barbers also warned the military, police and corrupt politicians who
are on "drug payroll" in exchange for protection.

He said that "mulcting cops" caught extorting from jailed pushers must
be made to answer for their unlawful transgressions.

"These unscrupulous men in uniform are frustrating the sincere effort
of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to fight against the drug
menace. Instead of running after drug syndicates and criminals, they
ended up being the 'protectors'. Certainly these cops don' t deserve
their badges and uniforms," the administration senator lamented.

Being the principal author of the "Anti-Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002",
Barbers therfor urged PNP Chief Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr. to put high
premium on the performance of high ranking police officials in the
fight against illegal drugs in their respective areas of
responsibility.

The renewed war against drugs, Barbers said, is a serious job to be
placed in the hands of callous police officials. "We need a no
non-sense law enforcers who will carry on the fight until we totally
rid our country of prohibited drugs. I hope that the PNP leadership
will consider this proposal in its upcoming revamp," Barbers said.