18 March 2016 - The Philippine delegation, headed by Ambassador and Permanent Representative Maria Zeneida Angara Collinson is currently participating in the 59th session of the Commission of Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria which opened on March 14 and will continue until March 22.
Undersecretary Jose Marlowe S. Pedregosa, Executive Director of the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), delivered the Philippine statement during the Special Segment on the Preparations for the Special Session of the General Assembly on the World Drug Problem, highlighting the balanced and integrated approach taken by the country against illegal drugs through the National Anti-Drug Plan of Action for 2015 - 2020.
Undersecretary Pedregosa underscored that the Action Plan, guided by the five pillars of action, namely: drug supply reduction; drug demand reduction; civil awareness and responses; alternative development; and regional and international cooperation, was developed to sustain the progress achieved in the national efforts to address the evolving challenges in the fight against drugs.
The highlight of the Philippine statement was when Undersecretary Pedregosa emphatically stated that “The Philippines does not favor capital punishment for drug offenses or for any other crime,” drawing applause from member delegations and observers alike.
The Commission on Narcotic Drugs is the principal policy making body of the United Nations on matters of international drug control. Its annual session brings together more than 120 Member States, 18 International Organizations, and more than 60 Non-Governmental Organizations participants from all over the world. END