Drugs becoming a major national problem

We were surprised to hear that a two-story mansion in our village – Dasmariñas – was raided by Makati City officials because neighbors had complained that foul smell constantly emanated from the property. We were pleased to learn that after a thorough search, the raiders failed to find any evidence that would indicate that the residence was being used to manufacture illegal drugs.

On the very same day, anti-drug operators raided a hotel in Malate, Manila and seized 32 kg. of ketamine worth $3.2 million, roughly P172.8 million, plus other assorted chemicals used for drug manufacture complete with laboratory equipment employed for producing illegal drugs. A Chinese national named Chen Lim Yong was the registered occupant of the room.

If anything, the two separate incidents serve to show how big our drug problem has become. The Dasmariñas incident serves to show a positive aspect concerning the drug problem and that is that people are aware of the problem and are ready to report anything unusual in their vicinity that may be related to drugs. In the Dasmariñas case, it turned out to be a false alarm, but still it showed that people are on the watch against the presence of drugs in their community. In the case of the Malate hotel raid, the important thing will be the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the person registered as occupant of the room. The drug manufactured there – Ketamine – is a substance commonly used by veterinarians to tranquilize animals. Now, it has become one of the most popular illegal drugs.

The sad part about the drug problem is that, it is a fact that it cannot flourish unless some policemen provide drug dealers with protection. If one is a drug addict, he can always find a dealer who will provide him drugs. This makes it logical to assume that if an ordinary citizen can always locate a drug source, then the police can also do the same – if they will take the initiative. But somehow, the police always seem to be the last to know.

By the way, we commend both the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for the way they kept terrorists under control during the 40-day Lenten period. The terrorists wanted Holy Week to be another Valentine’s Day marked by bomb explosions. But thanks to the PNP and the AFP, Holy Week was marked by peace that extended till Easter.

This is not to say that the bombing threat has stopped. The Police, the Army and the general public must remain in full alert. When we deal with terrorists, we must remember that we are not coping with sensible people. We are dealing with persons who will not hesitate to kill innocent people. Killing harmless persons and destroying valuable property are what give them a sense of achievement. We have the legal means to deal with terrorists.