President Rodrigo Duterte revealed on Thursday that he has barred the National Bureau of Investigation from dipping its fingers in the anti-illegal drug operations.
“There are no policemen in the entire country [in enforcing drug laws] as of now and I want to add the NBI; the bureau is also suspended from enforcing drug laws, they are included,” Duterte said in his speech, adding that he lost his trust in NBI.
Duterte recently ordered the Philippine National Police anti-drug unit to suspend its operations due to the killing of a foreign businessman Jee Ick Joo in the hands of allegedly rouge cops.
Several NBI agents have also allegedly been implicated in the kidnap-slay of the Korean national.
Duterte pointed out that the NBI must also have ‘internal cleansing’ as what the PNP is currently doing.
“May corruption din sa NBI,” he said, adding that he had only the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to trust at the moment.
Meanwhile, Duterte also pointed out in his speech that he would write an executive order that would allow the military to help in his fight against illicit drugs, which he said was a national security threat.
Duterte reiterated he had no need to declare martial law and that “it is not the right time to do it.”
He added that the wave of drugs-related killings as part of his campaign appeared to be “systematic, planned and organised” by authorities.
