Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte express gratitude to China for helping construct a drug rehabilitation center in Manila as the country strengthens its campaign on drugs.
"China offered to build the rehab. I think they have already started in Fort Magsaysay. They are bringing the materials there already. Only China will help us in our campaign against illegal drugs," Duterte told the Filipino community in Indonesia.
According to Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, China has pledge to help the Philippines in its combat against illegal drugs and the construction of the rehabilitation center has just started this month at Fort Magsaysay.
Duterte said that one of the rehab facilities that China has promised to build in the coming months is in Nueva Ecija.
"I would like to thank China for being so generous to us. Thank you so much," Duterte said.
Fort Magsaysay is the biggest military camp in the Philippines with 35,000 hectares and is one of the training grounds of the Philippine Army.
Abella said that the initial phase of the construction started on September 1.
"The initial groundwork (on the rehab center) has begun," Abella told reporters.
Earlier, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana ordered the opening of all military camps nationwide for the construction of drug rehab centers as directed by the president during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Among the military camps that would house drug rehab centers are the Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz, Camp Kibaritan in Bukidnon, and Camp Tomas Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.
