Modi ‘responded very positively’ to Duterte’s war on drugs, says Roque

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands after declaring their joint statement following a successful bilateral meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi, India on January 24, 2018. KARL NORMAN ALONZO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

NEW DELHI— Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “responded very positively” to President Duterte’s comments about the Philippine government’s war on drugs and even talked about the need for international cooperation, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday.

Modi also commented that the world’s response to the drug menace should be on the same scale as discussions on climate change, according to Roque, who was present at the bilateral meeting between the two leaders shortly after Mr. Duterte’s arrival late on Wednesday.

“The President took some time explaining his war on drugs to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister responded very positively to the Philippines’ war on drugs,” the official told a press briefing here.

In particular, “the Prime Minister said he realizes that the threat of drugs to young people is very, very serious,” Roque added.

“He said that he has in fact raised the issue of the drug menace in the G13 Summit emphasizing that drug traffickers used proceeds from their illicit trade to fund terrorist activities,” he said of Modi.

“The Philippines, of course — the Philippine President, of course, highlighted that the threat to terrorism in the Philippines and in the region is also financed partly through the trafficking in drugs,” Roque said.

He said Modi expressed his support “for the ongoing concern of our President, Philippine President Duterte, against drugs.”

“He (Modi) in fact said that there might be a need for international cooperation to deal with the menace of drugs,” Roque said. /je