Stupid, simplistic view on our drug problem

THE ongoing—and now long running—probe of the House Quadcomm on the drug war launched by the previous administration of President Duterte has focused on its alleged “brutality” and its “abuses” resulting to thousands of casualties, especially during the first half of his 6-years term.

And the “horrific” presentation of the drug war’s result is slowly pushing the public to swallow the stupid, erroneous, and simplistic argument that the proliferation of illegal drugs is not about the collusion of criminal syndicates and corrupt government officials both exploiting our weak criminal justice system for personal gain. Rather, it is nothing but a “health problem.”

Indeed, a proposal, HB 1104, was filed recently in Congress pushing for a “public health approach” to our problem on illegal drugs.

Its author, Akbayan Party List Rep. Percival Cendaña, wants it to be known as the ‘Kian (delos Santos) Bill,’ in memory of that 17-years old teenager who was killed by rogue police officers during a fake drug operation in Caloocan in 2017.

Conveniently, Cendaña failed to mention that the policemen involved are now languishing in jail for that dastardly crime.

“Drug use is a medical issue,” Cendaña said. “What we want to do is to reorient how we address the drug issue in our country towards a more rights-based and public health approach.”

Coming from a political party known to be a local conduit of Western vested interests, we are sure that Cendaña, as is most Western lackeys, does no know what he is talking about,

However, what we find surprising—and dismaying—is our own chief of the Philippine National Police, PGen. Rommel Marbil, downplaying the issue by claiming, in a convoluted way during a television interview, that people are resorting to the use of illegal drugs to “help” them during their long hours of work. Is he also justifying cops still hooked on this vice?

PNP spokesperson PBGen. Jean Fajardo, for her part, supported the irresponsible statement of her boss. She offered the equally convoluted position that prolonged work hours (boosted by shabu use) mean more economic productivity.

Let us be clear: Illegal drugs is not and has never been, a medical issue. It is a menace to our national harmony and the peace and order in our communities.

It is a highly-corrosive merchandize that damages our moral fiber as a nation and erodes the public’s trust in government because of its ability to corrupt—and corrupt absolutely—due to the huge bribe that comes with it.

Now, this piece is not in support of President Duterte. Far from it, let us be clear.

Recall however that from a mere provincial mayor, Duterte became president in 2016 because he voiced the concern of most Filipinos who recognize that no country and the communities within it under the thumb of the drug cartels can have peace and order and good governance.

Just look at Mexico, Bolivia, and Colombia, countries where drug cartels have overbearing influence and where citizens can no longer expect to be safe inside their own homes, much less in the streets. Do we want a return to that situation already becoming the “new normal” before Duterte took office?

To our mind, officials like Cendaña, Marbil and Fajardo thoroughly misinterpreted Pres. Marcos’ determination to also stamp out illegal drugs.

Their stupid view of the drug problem would cost the country more dearly in the days to come.