By the end of September, the Philippines will have the same number of drug addicts as that of Indonesia which is four million.
President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his worry that the number of drug addicts in the Philippines will soar to four million from the current 3.7 million as of press time.
As he spoke to the gathering of policemen under Police Regional Office 12 in Tambler, General Santos on Friday, September 23, the president rallied authorities to destroy what he called the “narcotics apparatus” to prevent the country’s drug menace from growing.
Pres. Digong said that from three million as earlier reported by anti-drug authorities, 700,000 more addicts have been recorded since he assumed office last June 30. The 700,000 included those who voluntarily surrendered to the authorities across the country because of Oplan Toktok Hangyu or TokHang (knock and plead).
Oplan Tokhang was implemented by PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa in Davao City when he was still the city police director and the program was implemented nationwide when Duterte appointed him to be the chief PNP.