Philippine senator called on Beijing to run after syndicates involved in the exportation of illegal drugs to the Philippines.
Senator Richard Gordon, who chairs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, said there is a need for the Philippine government to pressure China to prevent the exportation of narcotics to the country."If you are a friend, the entry of illegal of drugs into our country should be prevented," Gordon was quoted by a Philippine broadsheet.
Gordon is leading the senate investigation on the reported China shipment of 600 kilograms of illegal drugs worth USD 128 million in May 2017. The veteran senator appealed to the Philippine's Department of Foreign Affairs to write to China, requesting to address this pressing issue.
China and the Philippines have improved diplomatic and trade relations after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte initiated closer ties with the Asian giant. Since then both the countries have also improved their economic relations and tried to pacify mutual tensions regarding the disputed South China Sea.
Leading the committee hearing, Gordon also urged security officials present in the investigation hearing to run after big time drug syndicates.
Given the increasing incidents of entry of illegal Drugs in the country, Gordon called for the reorganization of the Bureau of Customs, a government agency that collects customs duties from exporters. The senate is pressuring the Bureau to name officials within and outside the bureau involved in facilitating the entry of the USD 128 million-worth of illegal drugs so that they will be held accountable.
