Aksyon Demokratiko presidential bet Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso on Wednesday said if he wins the upcoming May 9 polls, he will continue President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s war on drugs, vowing to go after the sources of the prohibited substances.

“Tuloy tuloy lang yung war on drugs. Tayo (The war on drugs will continue. We) will go directly after the source,” Domagoso said during his campaign sortie in Bataan province.

In his Talk to the People on Monday, Duterte said he is worried about the resurgence of illegal drugs, hoping his successor would continue his campaign against the drug menace.

“Ito bang (This) drugs, I hope that whoever would sit as president would continue the – if not, the ferocity that I did and I accept it, maski lang naman sana ‘yung (maybe just) a little lower than my standard kasi talagang sisirain ang bayan nating ito (because it will destroy our country). I’m so worried about the resurgence of drug problem,” Duterte said.

Domagoso said he would also focus on the rehabilitation of the victims of the illegal drug trade in the country.

He said he personally witnessed how illegal drugs ruined many lives and families as he grew up in a depressed area in Tondo.

Since many 933 illegal drug dens and 18 clandestine shabu laboratories have been dismantled in the last five years, Domagoso said it is important to strictly monitor all the country’s ports and borders to prevent the entry of illegal drugs in the country.

“We are an archipelagic country, and we don’t have enough resources na bantayan ang pitong libong mahigit na isla ng ating bansa, so most likely dito siya pumapasok, so kailangan bantayan, kailangan higpitan (to guard the more than 7,000 islands of our country, so most likely because of this they enter our country, so we need to guard and tighten [our borders]),” he said.

He said the authorities should still respect and protect the rights of the people in imposing a war on drugs. (PNA)