EDITORIAL - A scary picture

There were disagreements on who should be held culpable, but the witnesses at the Senate hearing yesterday painted a scary picture of the drug problem in the country. Former police agent Mary "Rosebud" Ong conti-nued her testimony, linking ranking police officers to the illegal drug trade in the previous administration. The former head of the Philippine National Police Narcotics Group, Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Acop, said criminal gangs or triads from Hong Kong and China have infiltrated five key government agencies. A soldier and a Manila policeman testified that when confronted with drug trafficking, they looked the other way when the names of powerful public officials were mentioned.

No matter who was lying or telling the truth yesterday, there was agreement that the triads were involved in drug trafficking in this country. And foreign criminal gangs could not have operated here without the protection and assistance of Filipinos. It is also highly likely that even as the Senate investigation may have forced triad members to skip town or lie low, their operations continue, aided by unscrupulous police and military officers.

After hearing all those testimonies, law enforcement agencies must exert more effort to ferret out those involved in the illegal drug trade, particularly those within their own organizations. Lawmakers, for their part, must also start crafting legislation to improve the fight against the drug menace even as the Senate hearings continue. The country already has some of the toughest laws against drug trafficking, but if the testimonies at the Senate are true, then the laws have failed to deter law enforcers from engaging in the drug trade.

This problem can’t be addressed by the government alone, and citizens must also do their part. Drugs are sold in the streets, and citizens must pinpoint not only dealers in their neighborhoods but also find ways of discouraging drug abuse. After hearing the extent of the drug problem, concerned groups must develop community-based programs and do their share in addressing this scourge.