(Part 1)
“The Marcos Jr. administration must prioritize rehabilitation, in line with its recalibrated anti-narcotics campaign”
A PANEL of ranking Philippine National Police officers has been formed to review the agency’s anti-narcotics strategy if it has been effective or not in curbing the country’s strategy on illegal drugs or whether or not it is consistent with the policies of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration of targeting illegal drugs at source.
PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil made it clear the review was called for to evaluate the program’s effectiveness, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and align itself with the administration’s anti- drug campaign.
My reaction to this move can only be ”it’s about time!”
Considering the past administration’s anti- illegal drug drive was not only a dismal failure, it gave rise to the thousands of extrajudicial killings and violations of human rights, Santa Banana!
In fact, Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign had given rise to the accusation by the International Criminal Court’s indictment that past President Duterte, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and many others had committed “crimes” against humanity – an issue still unresolved.
The PNP’s campaign during the past administration, like “Tokhang” and “Double-Barreled” had produced the killing of more than 6,000, according to official records, but were disproved by unofficial estimates of some 20,000 to 30,000 killings, my gulay!
When will the “day of reckoning” come to all those listed as having committed crimes against humanity?
This is a matter of speculation since the country withdrew its membership in 2019 from the United Nations’ Rome Statute , which created the ICC.
There are speculations, however, the ICC warrants of arrest on Duterte, deLa Rosa and others will probably come around next month, September.
The Marcos administration has no choice but to comply since Interpol’s jurisdiction includes the Philippines, with the country being an Interpol member.
From the start, the former President told the people that if elected, he would be able to eradicate the illegal drug scourge within six months.
And Duterte realized he could not do it after he claimed he would do it, Santa Banana, within a year!
Duterte’s boast never came to realization and the anti-illegal drugs campaign remained as a brutal and bloody war against illegal drugs.
And while Duterte’s brutal and bloody war on illegal drugs went on, mainly against shabu, more and more people, including drug addicts and users, not only pushers, were killed, giving rise to EJK’s which the police claimed “nanlaban sila” – a claim to justify the EJKs as well as the brutal and bloody war against illegal drugs.
The indictment of the ICC included the EJKs by the Davao Death Squad.
In reviewing the anti-narcotics drive. the PNP must consider a successful campaign must be taken on a holistic approach which includes prevention, law enforcement, and rehabilitation, since the narcotics problem is not just a matter of killing the addicts and users.
Santa Banana, the addicts and drug users are just victims since the existence of illegal drugs is a matter of supply and demand.
There would be no problem with illegal drugs if there is no demand.
The fact is the Philippines has become a big transhipment point of the worldwide multi-billion drugs problem,
This is why the Marcos Jr. administration must prioritize rehabilitation, in line with its recalibrated anti-narcotics campaign.
Going after the sources of illegal drugs is not enough.
That’s only a small part of the problem, the larger part of course is in cutting off the demand through rehabilitation.
Since cutting off the demand through rehabilitation is simply isolating drug users, I have decided to write about rehabilitation of drug users in another column if only to emphasize the need for President Marcos Jr’s administration to prioritize the building of community-based rehabilitation centers.
Rehabilitation which is the most important aspect of the holistic approach to the campaign against illegal drugs will be continued in my next column.
