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SURIGAO del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the appointed chairman of the 13th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Fact-Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) to Combat the Drug Menace, today challenged his fellow ASEAN lawmakers to act more decisively and be stronger and more courageous in battling illegal drugs to free the ASEAN region from its scourge.
I say it is time to take bold, courageous steps, and to bring more of our collective weight into forging a tighter, more decisive collaboration against illegal drugs. In so doing, the world will again witness the tenacity of the ASEAN spirit, our unity of purpose and our leadership in Asia, said Barbers during his acceptance speech for the AIFOCOM Meeting chairmanship.
He expressed appreciation of the distinct privilege to preside over the 13th AIFOCOM Meeting.
Barbers recalled that the joint effort in combating the drug menace dates back in 1976 when the ASEAN Declaration of Principles to Combat the Abuse of Narcotic Drugs was signed in Manila. The AIFOCOM itself has been in existence since 2001, he said.
Sixteen years have passed and today, it is time for our group to reach deeply into our collective conscience and wrestle...