Malacanang welcomed on Thursday a proposal of Senator Vicente Sotto III to convert the mega drug rehabilitation center inside a military camp in Nueva Ecija into a drug enforcement academy.

"We welcome the suggestion of Senator Vicente Sotto III on the mega drug rehabilitation and treatment center in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement.

He noted that the 10,000-bed mega-facility was built for the recovery and treatment of drug addicts in the country.

"However, from the beginning, we, particularly our health officials, do not envision this to be a permanent structure," Roque said.

"Our long-term vision is once the drug problem has been resolved, this can be turned over to the military who owns the land or other agencies of government that can utilize, manage and optimize the facility," he added.

Former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Dionisio Santiago earlier said the construction of the huge rehabilitation center was a waste of money. Instead, he said the government should build community-based rehabilitation centers.

Offended by what he said, Duterte, through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, asked Santiago to quit from his post.

Roque has said the government did not spend for the construction of the more than P1-billion mega rehabilitation center because it was donated by a Chinese philantrophist Huang Rulun. Celerina Monte/DMS