Drilon criticizes PSA on anti-drug data

Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday criticized the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for not helping provide a correct and reliable data that can aid the Duterte government’s anti-drugs campaign.

“Under the law, the data produced by the PSA is and shall be the official and controlling statistics of the government. That is the official statistics” Drilon said during an interview over Radio DZBB.

During the budget hearing last Friday, Drilon questioned why the PSA could not give the real figure regarding the extent and supposed gravity of the country’s drug problem.

It could be recalled that last May, President Duterte sacked DDB chairman Benjamin Reyes for saying that there are only 1.8 million drug dependents in the country, way below the 4.7 million figure cited b y the President and PDEA.

Senate finance committee chief Loren Legarda noted that the PSA merely relies on the data submitted by an inter-agency body composed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), among others.

Drilon called this “very discomforting.”

“I find it very discomforting if we are just relying on the data of the police who may have other motives or agenda in dishing out statistics,” Drilon said in dismay.

“I cannot understand why a major policy thrust of this administration, which is solving of the drug problem, is not supported by reliable data from the PSA,” he further pointed out.
“If we are saying that we just rely on the police whose motive insofar as the data is concerned is suspect, then we really have a problem,” he stressed.

Drilon said that having reliable and correct data is crucial in crafting the correct government policy. He said the PSA and the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) expertise on the matter must be put to good use as they can conduct their own survey.

“Reliable data should be the basis of policy. Kung mali-mali ang data, mali-mali ang polisiya na ating gagawin. We should shift to data-driven policy-making, especially in this war against drugs, instead of generating suspect data for the sole purpose of backing up policies already made,” Drilon said.

“The PSA and NEDA can shed light on this issue that has long been the subject of confusion and debate. I suggest that PSA and NEDA utilize their budget and capability in coming up with reliable data that could aid the government in crafting sound and better policies,” he further said.

“This is not rocket science. Certainly finding out number of drug dependent is a matter that can be determined by appropriate surveys,” he added.