The video shows Senator Bong Go only proposing the idea of having the former chief executive lead the campaign against illegal drugs
Claim: Former president Rodrigo Duterte has been appointed as the new anti-drug czar to lead the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) efforts against illegal drugs.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The false claim was made in a YouTube video posted by Showbiz Fanaticz with the title “NALOKO NA! Ex-Pres. DUTERTE, PINATATALAGA NA Bilang DRUG CZAR ng PNP| DUTERTE MAG-IIMBESTIGA NA!” (Former President Duterte has been appointed as the Drug Czar of the [Philippine National Police]. Duterte will now lead investigations.) The video has 10,000 views and 103 comments as of writing.
The video shows clips from the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee hearing last May 23.
Merely a proposal: Contrary to the claim that Duterte has been appointed anti-drug czar, the video shows Senator Bong Go, who served as special assistant to then-president Duterte, merely floating the idea.
During the hearing, Go asked PNP chief Major General Benjamin Acorda Jr. whether appointing the former chief executive to the role would benefit the Marcos administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“Prerogative naman iyan ng Presidente – ang appointing authority. Pero kung saka-sakali lang, makakatulong ba kung itatalagang drug czar si dating pangulong Duterte?” he asked.
(This is a prerogative of the President as the appointing authority, but if ever, will it help that former president Duterte is named as drug czar?)
While not giving a definitive answer, Acorda said that “anything on the campaign against illegal drugs, I will be supportive.”
War on drugs: Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa also expressed support for Go’s idea. As the Duterte administration’s first police chief, Dela Rosa is considered the architect of Duterte’s war on drugs. More than 6,000 individuals were killed in police operations under the bloody anti-illegal drugs campaign, though this figure excludes victims of vigilante-style killings, which human rights groups estimate to be between 27,000 and 30,000. – Jezreel Ines/Rappler
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