President Rodrigo Duterte's all-out campaign against the drug menace has found a supporter in Lingayen-Dagupan archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz.

Speaking to Radyo Veritas, Cruz said Duterte is serious about eliminating the drug menace especially after he named more than 150 public officials, law enforcers and magistrates who allegedly have links to narcotics syndicates.

"It seems that there's substance. I am slowly being impressed by his leadership because he means business," Cruz was quoted as saying in a Radyo Veritas report.

"I still have doubts because of the killings, but he also said that he will fix it. He also said he is not afraid to die and is even willing to put his friends in jail," he added.

In the interview, Cruz said he is saddened by the spate of drug-related slays in the country. Data gathered by ABS-CBN Investigative and Research Group showed at least 557 drug-related slays during police operations, 276 killed by unidentified assailants and 82 bodies found away from the crime scene from May 10-August 9 of this year.

The archbishop, however, said the release of the alleged drug list could bring much needed change.

"I don't know if there is any effect if there is killing here, killing there. Now that he has named names, maybe this is the change that will be different from the weeks of killing," he said.