- Davao City mayor lauds Pope Francis for denouncing organized illegal drug trafficking
- He takes swipe at his rivals, says they are willfully ignoring PH’s drug problem
- Pontiff strongly condemns the ongoing drug war in Mexico
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Reacting to Pope Francis’ strong condemnation of organized illegal drug trafficking during his visit to Mexico, presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he is pleased to have found a strong ally in the war against illegal drugs.
“As a Catholic, I am proud that Pope Francis has taken the courage to name the issue and face down narcopolitics,” the Philippine Daily Inquirer quoted him as saying.
At the same time, Duterte also twitted his rivals for turning a blind eye to the issue.
“Sad to say, my opponents seem to be too blind to this reality,” he said.
Duterte has consistently vowed to prevent Philippines from turning into another narco-state like Mexico.
“We will not allow our country to become a narco-state like some countries in Latin America. We will reclaim our streets from the drug lords and criminals who have made them unsafe. We will bring the war to their doorsteps. If they want to play rough, I will redefine to them the meaning of ‘rough,’” he said. “I will wipe out illegal drugs in 3 to 6 months. I will not allow our country to become Asia’s Mexico. We will not become a narco-state.”
Pope Francis, who celebrated Mass in Mexico’s Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Saturday, strongly condemned the drug war hounding the country a week before his visit.
“The Mexico of violence, the Mexico of corruption, the Mexico of drug trafficking, the Mexico of cartels, is not the Mexico our Mother wants,” he said.
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