BrrcinessVfirrcr

Uonday, October 14,2019

@

Use P1.3-B mariiuana

research fund to just
feed children-Atienza
oRrrINARro
By CAI U. to Grade 6 under the School-Based
t @caiordinario Feeding Program (!BF!): .
Atienza said the DePEdis sPend-
rfiHE
' sovernment should ingP5 billion this year andanother
| ".,.# *o." to ausment P6 billion in 2020 for the SBFP'
I rlttoa-f""airrg prJgrt*, "If wealthy nations wish to
insteadof allocating ,-"*rrrl"t fot squander public funds on mari-
*"ti;"""" ,"sear.h] according to juana research' then thats,uP to
Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza. them But in ourcase'we dol't need
-' afford it"'
ir,l ra"i"-"rra, the former three- it, and we certainly can't
term mayor of the City ofManila Atienza said'
l.sh"d out at the pl.3 billion pto- "If other countries want to Play
p*"Jfta.ti;"."" n""ear.h arrd De- withfire anddevelop marijuanafor
.r"loomentiR&D) Fund. supposed medical or recreatjonal
fhe fund is part of House Bjll Jurqoses, then let- them destroy
-therisilves'" he added'
3961 or tbe Aci establishing the
Philippine Cannabis Develop#ent At present' mariiuana is the sec-
tfi;tit or PhiICADA.fiied by ond most commonly abused illegal
O"p.rtySp".k"."nd Camirinee Sur drug in thecountry after metham-
n"i.rirlr'n.y-ottaVilafuerte Jr. **amin9tr1{191!loride'orshabu'
is a huge waste of taxpayer and ahead of MDMA, or Ecstasy'
"'It
monev that clould be put to better Currently' under the Danger-
use to augment funding for vital ous Drugs Act of 2002, marijuana
,o.i"lp.oir"-r, rochastihe School- is tagged as a banned substance'
BasedFelding Program for half- just like shabu, ecstasy, cocaine
staived children," Atienza said. and heroin.
Under Villafuerte's proposed Under the law, mere possession
bill, P1billionwillb".r""dto ""t"b of atleast Q00 grams ofmarijuana'
Iish the Matijuana R&D Fund, and or at least 10 grams of marijuana
another P30b milion will be used concentrate (resin or resin oil)' is
for the operations of PhilCADA. punishable by life in-prison plus a
In contrast, Atidnza said the fine of up to P10 million'
Department ofE,locition (DepEd) Carrying lesser - quan tities of
onir, ,o"t d, P16 for every forti- the drug is punishable by 12 to 20
ii"i -""1ft"ulv tupplied tounder- years in prison plus a fine of up to
weightchildrenfromkindergarten P500'000'
n pAge -&'