A drug free Philippines remains an ideal vision of the Aquino government.

Thus bared deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte.

Valte said that the government is resolved to attain such a goal even before the end of tenure of the Aquino administration.

In fact, the Palace official is  optimistic that the government anti drug efforts would gain headway especially if our judiciary would cooperate with the Executive in putting behind bars those behind drug syndicates especially those preying on our OFWs.

Valte reiterated that the judiciary  should do its part in fighting the drug menace by ensuring the conviction of offenders in drug-related cases even as she bared that the President is contemplating to put one undersecretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to handle drug related cases to ensure  their expeditious disposition.

“Efforts against drug pushers should not just come from the executive branch. President Aquino said that while the law is there, there must be certainty of punishment so criminals will think twice before violating the law,” Valte said.

“The prosecution does not remain on the executive but the judiciary also has to make sure there will be certainty of punishment to those who will be found guilty, and swiftly,” the Palace official said.

But Senate Majority Floor leader Vicente Tito Sotto III said that government could do much in its anti drug campaign especially if it looks after the welfare of our OFWs.

Sotto said that a drug free Philippines however is not attainable by 2016.

“The way our government is treating  drug traffickers when abroad sends wrong signals,” Sotto said.

He also stressed that poverty is not an excuse to drug trafficking to which Valte agreed, pointing out poverty is not an excuse to commit a crime.

Sotto reacted to the proliferation of Pinoy drug mules being victimized by well entrenched drug gangs notably African drug gangs.

While addressing poverty and intensifying law enforcement could be a factor in resolving the drug contagion in the country, Sotto called on the government to wage heavy information in education campaign, pointing out this will go a long way   in addressing the drug problem as well as of the woes of drug mules among our Overseas Filipino Workers apart from concerted efforts among the global community.

There  about  75 other Filipinos who were also meted the death penalty without reprieve were given two-year reprieves by the Supreme People’s Court of China.

Under Chinese law, the original verdict may be commuted to life imprisonment if a prisoner displays good behavior while in jail.

Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan stressed that there are other  OFWs in death row in various jails in China and the Middle East.

“We have documented at least 125 OFWs in death row, of which 85 are drug-related cases. There are over 7,000 OFWs in jail in different parts of the world.”

“Many of these OFWs have long complained of the lack of legal assistance and support from the government, a problem that will most likely continue as the Aquino government slashed the budget for legal assistance of OFWs for this year.”

Ilagan said that while the Migrant Act of 2009 mandates the allocation of at least P100M for the legal assistance fund, the 2011 National Budget allocates as measly P30M.

Records show that many of the drug syndicates either sway Pinays for their wives or sway recruiters to serve OFWs  through their so called drug barons  as drug couriers or drug mules.

They were found with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines, which they brought in suitcases from West African countries into Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries including the Philippines for their distribution points.

African drug gangs  who get their hot stuff from South African countries usually encourage their members to marry local women in these countries, a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said.