In an effort to advance the country's fight against the menace of illegal drugs, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" C. Remulla led the Philippine delegation to the 68th Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria from March 10 to 14, where he openly declared the unyielding commitment of the Philippines with the UN to combat substance abuse and drug trafficking.

Secretary Remulla delivered his message before prominent world leaders such as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Chairperson Shambhu S. Kumaran, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Ghada Waly, among others.

"As the Philippines celebrates its 80 years of partnership with the UN as one of its founding members, we reiterate our commitment to multilateralism and the UN as the most vital platform for international cooperation to tackle our common challenges, including the world drug problem," Secretary Remulla underscored.

With pride and honor, the Justice Secretary also presented the human rights-based and public health-centered approach of the Philippines in controlling the drug problem under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the Bagong Pilipinas government.

Secretary Remulla emphasized that prevention, education and having a comprehensive rehabilitation program for drug dependent individuals are the best ways to address the illegal drug problem.

"The results of all these efforts are encouraging. The 2023 National Survey on Drug Abuse in the Philippines has shown a decline in drug use prevalence, with the number of drug users decreasing from 1.67 million in 2019 to 1.47 million in 2023,”Sec Remulla underscored.

At present, the government is conducting an executive review of the country’s drug policies while continuously employing a comprehensive "whole-of-nation" approach, integrating law enforcement, socio-economic, and health interventions to create an effective and unified response versus dangerous drugs for the benefit of future generations.