AIPA sets focus on combating illegal drugs

CEBU, Philippines - The ten-member Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) is now working on combating illegal drugs in their respective countries in South East Asia.

Former Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco, AIPA secretary-general, bared that the drug menace is serious in the Philippines, more so in other Asean countries.

The Association of South East Asian Nations is composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

“We are trying to address that. We have been holding a lot of seminars on trying to combat the drug menace,” Cuenco said.

Cuenco noted common concerns among AIPA members such as the laxity of the execution of the laws in each member country despite having a very good and strict law against drugs.

“It is really the execution of the laws that we want to be done, way problema sa mga resolutions, balaud, istrikto apan ang kuwang ang execution,” Cuenco pointed out

Cuenco said that a lot of drug cases have been lost because of the lack of execution of laws by the police and the executive department.

“We are concentrating on that, how to spur executive actions. We need executive action to combat the drug menace,” Cuenco said.

He described the law enforcement agencies as weak and slow in implementing the law.

“Di nalang ko mo-elaborate unsay hinungdan nganong hinay sila, o luyahon. Kamo nala’y mag-igo diha, kahibawo man tingali mo kon ngano,” Cuenco said.

Cuenco has been an anti-illegal drug crusader and became senior vice chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs who made a lot of exposés on drug syndicates in the country during his term.

Before his appointment as secretary-general, AIPA has already been discussing the issue on illegal drugs.

During its 31st General Assembly October last year in Hanoi, Vietnam when Cuenco’s appointment was approved, one of the considerations was facilitating the implementation of the AIPA resolution which seeks to prevent and combat the proliferation of illegal drugs in South East Asia.  (FREEMAN)