‘Drug dependents with court cases can enter rehab’

MANILA, Philippines - Drug dependents facing criminal cases can be admitted at drug rehabilitation centers of the Department of Health (DOH) after it has been established that they do not pose a security risk, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial said yesterday.

Ubial said the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has issued a resolution stating that “patients assessed by a heath professional to be needing residential care or rehabilitation will be admitted to our treatment and rehabilitation facilities.”

But in-patient rehabilitation will still require an order from the court.

DDB chairman Benjamin Reyes said a point system would be implemented for drug dependents willing to be confined at drug rehabilitation centers but are facing cases in court. 

“This is actually advantageous for them because whatever time spent in rehabilitation will be deducted from the jail term in case they are found guilty by the court. There will be point system,” he added.

Reyes also gave assurance that the DDB and DOH are exercising caution to make sure that drug dependents will not use the rehabilitation program to evade jail. 

He noted that there are many screening procedures that drug dependents with pending cases will have to undergo to qualify for in-patient rehabilitation. 

Aside from the evaluation of health professionals, the drug dependent has to be assessed by the court if the patient is not a flight risk and threat to other patients. 

“That will be settled by the court. But once they are in the treatment and rehabilitation facilities, they will be treated like the other drug patients. So assessment is really important here,” Reyes explained.

Currently, none of the 200 patients confined at the Mega Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija have a pending criminal case.

The DOH initially targeted to accommodate 10,000 drug dependents but this was reduced to 500 after it was found that a majority of drug surrenderees do not need in-patient rehabilitation.