Sri Lankan president recognizes PH war on drugs – PNP

January 20, 2019

The Philippine National Police on Saturday lauded Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena for recognizing the Duterte administration's anti-illegal drugs campaign.

"The Philippine National Police is grateful to the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, for his country’s generous recognition of the Philippines’ national anti-illegal drugs campaign," the PNP said in a statement.

During his brief official visit at the police Camp Crame headquarters in Quezon City, Sirisena said he "admired" the country’s crusade against illegal drugs.

The Sri Lankan President and his delegation were personally received by Interior and Local Secretary Eduardo Ano and PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde.

This was the first ever official visit of a foreign head of state to the PNP headquarters.

Quoting Sirisena, the PNP said that some world leaders were not aggressive in the fight against narcotics because this could lead to "threat to their lives" and that many politicians who have been engaged in the illegal drug trade have found this as a "lucrative economic support system."

"These are the reasons why only a handful of world leaders are taking a personal stand against illegal drugs," he said, while expressing admiration to the strong commitment of President Rodrigo Duterte to fight the menace.

He also acknowledged that his country has become a major transshipment point of illegal drugs in the international drug market.

“The world must respect the Philippine’s difficult task of dealing with illegal drugs,” Sirisena said.

He added that the Sri Lankan government aspires to replicate Duterte’s drive against illegal drugs.

The briefing in Camp Crame was the last schedule of the Sri Lankan leader's 5-day state visit to the Philippines. Ella Dionisio/DMS