How Philippines deals with War on Drugs

As the former Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte wins the Presidential election on a landslide remark on May 9, 2016. He declares war on drugs. Drugs is one of the major problem of the Philippines. During his campaign he promised that he will do his best to lessen the crime rate. Furthermore, the now President of the Republic of the Philippines addresses that drugs is one of the main reason why crime rate is high.

July 1, 2016. The day where he reveals the list of the high profile syndicate on public. The 71 year-old president who turned out to be the oldest president of the Philippine history have no fear mentioning people who are involved in Drugs. As the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, he commanded them to catch those who are in the list. Furthermore, he demanded those who are in list to surrender in just 24hrs to clean their name or be the enemy of the states.

Billions of pesos worth of drugs were recovered by PNP during this war on drugs in their various raids and police operations. The president is fulfilling what he have said during the eve of the election and I quote “If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I'll kill you.” he said with the crowd no less than 300,000 Filipino people hungry for the change he is promising. During first State of the Nation Address, he said that he will finish the drug problem in just 3-6 Months that gives every Filipino people hope. And now, it's been a year he hadn't finish this war yet. He seek for another 6 more months or maybe a year. But go on, you have a 6 year-old term to finish. As months pass by, the Philippines had changed a lot especially when they launch the operation “tokhang”.

Tokhang is derived from the Cebuano “Toktok-Hangyo” meaning “knock and plead (make a polite request to surrender or stop using drugs).” It's operation helped a lot of drug users to change their lives and committed into a rehab. Tokhang is to knock on a suspected drug trafficker or drug addict's home to persuade them to surrender and stop their illegal activities, so as the oplan works there is this people who were told “nanlaban!”. This were drug users who did not surrendered politely and chooses to fight back. Thousands have been killed. And most of them were “nanlaban”. But according to the president himself. A person who is under the influence of drugs doesn't know what is right or wrong. They are like flying in the sky and feel no pain at all. The drugs is damaging their brain that makes them fight back. War will never be war without someone getting killed. As per the latest survey. It's almost 2,000 plus were killed but the good thing is almost 500,000 plus have surrendered.

This war were criticized by the Commission of Human Rights. Not only the local sector but also the world human advocate. In this inhumane killings and non stop killings, they feel that people are just being killed like a rat without rights to defend themselves. Well, they have the point here but just think of this. If a drug user raped a girl and killed it, who is wrong? I mean they both have rights to live. The point here is this. The Philippines current administration is pursuing federalism and also the old law “eye for an eye”. President Duterte who turned out to be a Marcos loyalist wants to achieve what the late President Ferdinand Marcos this. He wants to be noticed by the world that the Filipino people are something worth it and the Philippines is a country to be visited and not be afraid of.

Well, as a Filipino citizen. I may say I'm satisfied with his leadership. I'm not his loyalists. I'm pro Philippines. As long as my country is moving forward, there's nothing to worry about. That's me with a Duterte shirt and hand sign. I voted him but it doesn't mean he is always right.

Photos were taken from google. Credits to the owners.