Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday denounced the previous administration’s violent drug war as ineffective, underscoring that the new anti-drug systems in place have proven far more successful in eliminating drug use and drug-related crimes.

He clarified that he was speaking of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, which killed thousands in the name of its war on drugs.

“The President’s directive is that we should follow the law, we should not game the system. Dati kasi, akala nila, basta pumatay ka ng limang tao, 10 tao, 20 tao, 20,000 tao, titigil ang droga sa Pilipinas. Tumigil ba? Hindi rin, e,” Remulla explained.

“Pero ngayon, sa sistemang ginagawa ng PNP (Philippine National Police), PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), DILG, at Dangerous Drugs Board, kumunti ang drugs sa Pilipinas. It is a more effective way of solving the drug menace, rather than killing people,” he added.

In a press conference on March 13, the Interior Secretary shared that the interdiction of drug supplies has raised drug prices and reduced consumption and thus, drug-related crime rates.

“Less drug supply, higher price. Less consumption, lower crime. Umakyat ang presyo ng droga dahil sa interdiction. Bumaba ang crime rate ng Pilipinas. At nararamdaman na ‘yan. And again, you connect it: high level of interdiction and whole-of-nation approach, higher prices of shabu, lowering of crime, the higher trust rating ng ating Philippine National Police (PNP). There is a direct effect for interdiction,” he said.

He stressed that the government is not targeting ordinary citizens such as fishball vendors and pedicab drivers who use methamphetamine hydrochloride—more widely known as “shabu” or crystal meth—but the “big fish” who possess and distribute large amounts of the illegal substance.