Duterte: shift in drug war results in fewer deaths

By Roy Ramos ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will be the exclusive agency fighting illegal drugs, said President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday. This will result in fewer deaths, fewer encounters and will satisfy critics,’ “bleeding hearts” he said, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella clarified that the transfer of the function to take over the administration's flagship campaign to PDEA is to shift to target big “fishes” of the illegal drug trade. “If it’s PDEA, fewer deaths. This is better, do you say?” Duterte sarcastically said. “No death, no encounter. So better for the bleeding hearts and the media, I hope I will satisfy you,” he added. Duterte said he removed other agencies and will just let PDEA do the action as his critics are fixated on the resulting number of deaths. "They seem to want it, maybe this would suffice for the stupid European Union guys. They were all focused on how many deaths," he said. The Philippine police on Thursday has terminated all its anti-illegal units. Under the PDEA, operations will strictly adhere to the law and will be less bloody, said PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino. Aquino vowed a relentless and sustained fight as he welcomed the media to cover the agency’s operations. “I’m asking all the media to join me in all my operations, you’re all welcome,” said Aquino. Since the start of the crackdown in July last year, 28 drug personalities died during PDEA’s operations, while around 3,800 were killed in police’s operations.