G Spot

By July 18, 2016G Spot, Opinion

Freedom to kill

PASALO

By Virginia Jasmin Pasalo

 

IT is easy for some to gloat over the killing of suspected drug addicts. I, too, want the drug problem to end, with the same optimism I have for the US, who until now have 1% success since US President Nixon launched a global war to end it in 1971.

The distribution of illegal drugs has become more efficient. A new study from the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy, a research group based in Vancouver, British Columbia, shows that substances are getting more concentrated and cheaper, which suggests the world’s drug supply is increasing. The research, published by the British Medical Journal in 2013 found “that despite efforts to limit the supply of these drugs, since 1990 prices have fallen while the purity of the drugs has increased. The trends were similar in the US and in Europe.” The authors’ conclusion was clear:  “These findings suggest that expanding efforts at controlling the global illegal drug market through law enforcement are failing.”

Based on this study, policy redirection is critical to the success of the war on drugs. Dr Evan Wood, co-author and scientific chairman of the centre, said: “We should look to implement policies that place community health and safety at the forefront of our efforts, and consider drug use a public health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.”

Someone remarked that a week ago, about 4000 drug addicts and pushers surrendered in Tagum, Davao del Norte and shouldn’t I be happy about this accomplishment? First, the view that the surrender of drug addicts is an accomplishment is wrong. This is not a contest of performance, to fit in the first 100 days of a political career, it is the first step towards the most difficult task: rehabilitation. It becomes an accomplishment when they are back in society fully-rehabilitated and functioning as productive individuals in their communities.

Together with the alleged surrender, is the fact of extra-judicial killings of suspected drug addicts. GMA Network News has been keeping tabs on the surge of killings through a KILL LIST in an attempt to document the names and other particulars of the casualties in the Duterte administration’s war on crime and concludes that “The surge in the killing of suspected criminals since June 30, 2016 has been marked and unmistakable. Most of those killed were identified by the police as suspected drug dealers or pushers (tulak).” It notes further that, to date (from May 10- 07 July 2016, 12:00 p.m.), 119 have been killed, 72 from June 30 to -July 07, 2016 and 47 from May 10- June 29 2016. The list includes 13 dead who remain unidentified and five who are identified only by an alias…”

The problem with extra-judicial killings is that they encourage trigger-happy law enforcers to also kill suspected addicts and innocent people around them. A father who accompanied his son to Pasay Police Station 4 was killed with his son, allegedly because they struggled inside the precinct. In another report, a mother grieves for the killing of her two sons, one of which she vouched to be innocent, because they allegedly grabbed an officer’s gun.

There are those killed because of the information they can give, and those who may have earned the ire of law enforcers in some way, for which evidence may be planted in their possession. There is an increasing wave of civilians wanting to do the killing on their own. Innocent people who are not even suspects have been killed.

The methodology implemented in the war against drugs needs serious review. We cannot solve the problem by issuing a marching order for every citizen to take into their hands, the opportunity to be part of the solution by killing a suspect. This method exacerbates the situation and creates other social problems.  It violates the Bill of Rights enshrined in the Philippine Constitution for the protection of all citizens.

The war on drugs is not about an external enemy. It is not a matter of “them” and “us”. The victims are in our homes, they can be nephews, nieces, sons and daughters, and even our own parents. I would not have had the singular happiness of having witnessed a fully rehabilitated drug user march through the graduation rites from a rehabilitation center where my friend and I brought her nephew. Under today’s engagement, he would be killed on the street.

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments