Cebu Gov : ‘Take President’s Statement on Drugs as a Challenge’

Cebu Provincial Governor Hilario Davide III said he was in favor of President Rodrigo Duterte’s extending martial law in Mindanao and the war on drugs which PDU30 strongly stressed in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Davide said he fully supports the extension of martial law in Mindanao because of the still ongoing presence of Maute terrorists in Marawi City.

“I hope it won’t get worse, but there are really bases on extending martial law not just in Marawi but in the whole of Mindanao. In instances like these, we need to trust the President’s judgment,” Davide said.

The war on drugs has been very successful and the governor also wants it continued until the problem is eradicated. Although the governor is against extra-judicial killings, he said there was no real proof about this issue here in Cebu.

“We should take the President’s statement about illegal drugs as a challenge,” Davide said. “We should put more effort with regards to the drug problem.”

The governor also took the opportunity to give credit and gratitude to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police for their concerted effort in reducing the drug cases in Cebu Province.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena could not be reached for his reaction on the President’s SONA as of this writing, but he posted on his Facebook page some words of advise to those planning to listen to the SONA.

“If you like the President, please realize that not everything he says is right. If you don’t like the President, please realize that not everything he says is wrong,” Osmena said. “It’s OK to disagree; disagreement is the essence of a democracy. If everyone had the same idea about everything all the time, there would be no need to vote. But whether you agree or disagree, please base it not on feelings, but on facts.”

The President’s SONA, the mayor added,was meant to set the direction of our country for the next year, and “the best thing a Filipino can do for his country today” was not to let preconceived notions cloud objectivity.

City Councilor Joel Garganera, on the other hand, said he wanted to see the lifting of martial law as it was affecting the economy of and the tourism industry in Mindanao.

The city dad said the President should have also talked about the rebuilding of Marawi, not only on infrastructure but also the rebuilding of the spirit and morale of its people.

Cebuanos were vocal about the President’s SONA.

Selena Samontina, a BPO employee, said: “President Digong is really not afraid to speak his mind. He is not afraid to be criticized for his words, so long as his message comes across with the intensity he means it to be delivered.”

Romeo Simon Sr., a 56-year-old street vendor, said he agreed that the war on drugs must be intensified as drug pushers still proliferate. He said he knows this for a fact because his son is still on drugs after surrendering to police through “Oplan Tokhang”.

Alya de Dios, a college student, said she was glad President Duterte has implemented the anti-smoking law because he made it possible for her father to stop smoking. “My father was caught smoking on Sunday, and I think he has learned his lesson,” Alya said. (LBG/USJ-R interns Levirose Caballero & Ador Menchavez/PNA)