The Lacson-Sotto tandem will have a different way – a more holistic approach – in solving the lingering problem of illegal drugs in the country.

Citing the gray areas of the drug war of the current administration, Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said there is a need to focus more on the prevention and rehabilitation side of the battle.

“I will remove selling when it comes to the problem with illegal drugs and drug abuse – these are two different animals. That’s the problem that we encounter now. Maganda ang umpisa noong 2016 when it comes to law enforcement pero tanong ng karamihan: Bakit meron pa? Bakit may pumapasok pa ring (droga)? Bakit maraming shabu laboratory nahuhuli,” Sotto told local reporters during his recent visit to Iloilo City together with Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

Sotto and Lacson earlier announced their bid for Vice President and President, respectively, come May 2022 elections.

According to Lacson, if they are given a chance to lead, they would pursue the drug war, but “not in the way the President (Rodrigo Duterte) is doing it.”

Sotto, meanwhile, said while the enforcement side is, in fairness, zealous enough in their arrests of drug peddlers, filing cases and even killings “lalo na kung naka-tsinelas,” the problem on the drug abuse side was not given enough spotlight.

He said it must be addressed via supply and demand reduction strategies.

Sotto cited, for instance, children as young as 13 years old must have a drug abuse resistance program to keep them from being drug dependent.

“Because kung walang gagamit, walang magbebenta,” Sotto emphasized.

For those who are drug dependent already, Sotto underscored that there should be a strong and meticulous rehabilitation program accredited by the Department of Health.

“It’s not like meron kang rehabilitation center – ilagay mo ‘yung drug dependent (and) after six months ‘yon na ‘yon. Hindi, babalik ‘yan pag hindi tama ang rehabilitation program,” Sotto said.

He added that profiling of the drug dependents is also important to know what kind of rehabilitation program would suit him/her.

“The bottomline is the day they stop buying is the day they stop selling,” Sotto emphasized.

Lacson further pointed out the greatest flaws of this administration’s drug war – prematurely announcing the drug list and order battle.

“If you do it that way, the end result you tagged people perceived to be not allies or shall we say, political enemies of the administration,” Lacson stressed.

Revealing it to the public, he added, especially if the information is validated, is actually telegraphing and forewarning those personalities.

He believes that this is supposed to be a confidential document that could be a way to gather more information and enough evidence to prosecute.

“‘Yun ang gamit ng order battle, hindi para sa pag-harass, ipahiya and even put in peril the lives of those people,” said Lacson.