The Three Colors of the Philippines: An Assessment of Duterte’s First Year as the Philippine Preside
It’s not the typical Red, Blue, and Yellow color of the Philippines. When President Duterte seated, it became Red, Black and White.
Philippines as Red
Red dominates the three colors. It represents the year-long bloody war of Duterte’s administration against illegal drugs.
6 Reasons Why We Should Be Concerned about Duterte’s War on Drugs
Since he took office in late June last year, President Rodrigo Duterte eyed that eradicating drug dealing and drug addiction are one of the ways of achieving social and economic progression. Similar in Davao, when he was the City Mayor, he promised that large-scale of dealers and addicts will be abolished.
“All of you who are into drugs, you sons of bitches, I will really kill you,” Duterte said last year, a month before he was elected. When he became President, he encouraged the public to go ahead and kill drug addicts.
Moreover, President Duterte promised to pardon any police officers or government forces that would be condemned in the performance of their duties even those who accused of committing murder as the President has the clemency power to award pardons.
“Sabi ko, ‘Wala akong pakialam dyan. File na ninyo lahat ng gusto ninyong file.’ Pero sabi ko and in front of Cabinet, ‘I will never allow a military man, a government man or a policeman na makukulong for doing his duty and obeying my order,” the President said.
In addition, President Duterte also pushes government forces not to be intimidated in the Commission of Human Rights as some of policemen were allegedly killing drug addicts without due process and planting false evidence, shouldering justice on their own.
So who are we to be unconcerned?
Here are the lists why we should be concerned about Duterte’s War on Drugs:
1. Shocking Figures of Casualties
To date, almost 7,000 people killed in the President Duterte’s war on drugs. At least 2,555 of the killings have been attributed to the Philippine National Police based on the Commission of Human Rights and more than 4,000 were victims of extra judicial killings based on Philippine Nation Police record.
As Rappler compared; it is more than the estimated 3,240 killed during the Martial Law from 1972 to 1981, it is more than the estimated 2,977 killed in the September 11 attacks in the United States, and it is more than the estimated 2,500 killed in Thailand’s war on drugs in 2003.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Isidro Lapeña last month said that the Duterte’s war on drug was succeeding. How come he claimed it a success if there are thousands of people being killed?
2. Extra Judicial Killings (EJK)/ Vigilante-style
When President Duterte provoked the public to kill drug addicts and pushers, it became a springboard of extra judicial killings as it created the stigma that it’s okay to kill pushers and users.
Surprising 4,146 vigilante-style or unexplained killings were recorded based on Philippine National Police data as of January 9, 2017, 3,271 of that were cases/incidents of deaths under investigation and 875 with investigation included.
Killings will not stop drug menace. Due process is a must; we are talking about lives here.
3. War Against the Poor
Thousands of people were killed when Duterte administration launched the war on drugs campaign; most of the victims were urban poor.
Officials said that President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign is not war on the poor. Yet, based on Reuters’ research, the killings in Manila are clustered in working class and slums such as Tondo and Quiapo. In Quezon City, they are focused in Payatas and Novaliches, also poor and densely populated.
Poor victims were not enjoying the due process as the justice system of the Philippines is costly and too slow.
4. Misery in PH Jails
The current administration didn’t anticipate the possible detention problems caused by the drug on war campaign. It really worsen the condition of jails and prisons. Exteme overcrowding is the main problem faced by the Bureau of Jail and Management Penelogy (BJMP). Pushing the capacity of a prison to the limit was their answer.
Add dirty drinking water, wrecked toilets, low-budgeted meals, gang war, half-baked guards and prison administrators, and you have a system built for punishment, not for rehabilitation.
As of December 31 last year, based on Rappler research, 932,237 drug users and 74, 916 drug pushers surrendered. Imagine their agony in worst condition.
5. Unprepared and Surprised Rehabilitation System
The Philippines was unprepared to the outcome of the anti-drug campaign. Millions of people, consisting of users and pushers, surrendered. And it was called “initial wave”, for sure there will be next wave following another.
The health department’s concept of building mega treatment and rehabilitation center with 2,000 capacities in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao respectively will just accommodate 500 patients – not as huge as in Nueva Ecija. In addition, some local governments find it costly to build a rehab center.
What will be the future of the people who surrendered?
6. Addiction is not a Crime
How bad it is when President Duterte and other people see addiction as a crime. Well, basically it’s not. It’s a disease.
Are people with addiction responsible for their actions?
Based on the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, people with addiction should not be blamed for suffering from the disease. People do not choose how their brain and body respond to drugs and alcohol, which is why people with addiction cannot control their use while others can.
Seeking treatment and maintaining recovery is what addicts must have. To increase their chances of recovery, they need a support from family and friends-- not killings.
Heal, not kill.
