Peace will never settle the souls of the impoverished mercilessly slain by the iron fist until justice is served for their demise.
Despite the thousands who fell and were incarcerated behind bars in the campaign, the threat of illegal drugs that ensnare the unfortunate Filipinos persists. It seems the government's approach to addressing this issue aligns with this year's theme, "The evidence is clear: invest in prevention," albeit through violent means, as manifested in the rising number of extrajudicial killings under the new administration.
Through resolution 42/112 of December 7, 1987, the United Nations declared every 26th of June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day. It aims to “strengthen action and cooperation to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse” (United Nations, n.d.). This year’s campaign seeks to highlight the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy. It focuses on providing voluntary, evidence-based services for all, offering alternatives to punishment, prioritizing prevention, and leading with compassion (South African Government, 2024).
Howbeit, as always, the Philippines is lagging behind, not only in the economy and education sector, but also with its rotten justice system.
This has been evident with the unapologetic ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s infamous war on drugs that has killed more than 12,000 individuals, mostly urban poor; yet, there has only been a few reported drug lords that were raided and also killed by the police.
On the contrary, these data are claimed to be “manipulated” by human rights groups who said that the number of deaths could be up to 27,000 to 30,000, including children and innocents.
Perhaps the root cause of rampant use of illegal drugs in the country is due to the majority of Filipinos being entrapped into a vicious cycle of poverty. For once, it denies them access to quality education that is supposed to equip them with enough knowledge of these substances and serves as a golden ticket to a better life through employment opportunities at the same time. As if that is not yet dreadful, employment standards in the Philippines are unrealistic for a minimum wage salary, with some companies requiring college diplomas for positions like store cashiers. Consequently, many are forced to resort to grasping at straws, particularly involving illegal drugs, as these are the most accessible and marketable options available to them.
Ironically, government employees who are expected to fulfill their sworn duties to the Filipinos who pay their wages through taxes are also among the main financiers, protectors, and executors without due process of law. On what could have been the implementers of programs and resolutions that improve the quality of life of the underprivileged, they are instead the ones pushing them off the cliff.
In fact, the Dahas project of the University of the Philippines has recorded 342 drug casualties from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023 at an average rate of 0.9 deaths per day. Though there is less involvement of the state in the killings, what is still alarming is that it is higher than the 0.8 daily average during Duterte's last year in office.
Clear as the scorching sun, the lack of respect for human rights and the disregard of the existing laws haven’t disappeared under the Marcos administration.
On this World Drug Day, it is imperative that we, as scholars of the state, should acknowledge that the twisted system fails to address the root causes of illegal drug use. With the limited sources that we have as of now, what we could do is to deepen our understanding of the social, economic, and health impacts of drug abuse on communities. Nonetheless, we can maximize our potential through participation and partnerships with various organizations such as the Philippine Council of NGOs Against Drug & Substance Abuse that aims to prevent drug use by education, treatment, and rehabilitation of the Filipino people. Small, numerous efforts of raising awareness through advocacies online and offline would create a huge impact in the future, for these information will reach the knowledge of many.
Viewing illegal drugs as a public safety issue instead of a health concern creates stigma and criminalization against individuals struggling with abuse, with the government being too focused with heavy law enforcement that only promotes abuse of power and instills fear in the public. These resources could instead be allocated to healthcare services, rehabilitation programs, and livelihood projects that would encourage the victims to seek professional help rather than being scared of legal repercussions. What the government fails to realize is that by relying on guns and bullets, they overlooked the underlying causes of substance abuse, such as mental health issues and marginalization, which, in the first place, are exacerbated by their corruption and pursuit of personal gain.
The persistent reliance on violent law enforcement and extrajudicial killings not only undermines human rights but also does not provide long-term solutions that would break the cycle of abuse. It is about time that the government shifts its focus from punitive measures to holistic solutions that do not shun the victims, but rather create a safe space to prevent the use of illegal drugs through digging deeper to its roots.
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