A different approach

I was surprised by President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s statement acknowledging “abuses were committed and that the human rights situation became a cause for concern during the previous administration.” He also added, “The syndicates have grown stronger, wealthier, and more influential, worryingly so.” That is saying a lot. His statements are just short of saying former president Duterte’s war on drugs was a failure. To be honest, it was. All it did was show he could wield such power as to run a bloody campaign.

In fact, many have the same opinion as Marcos. The only difference is it could now be said. And there are facts to prove it. The largest shabu haul in PNP history happened last year. A total of 990 kilos or a street value of ?6.7 billion. If the recent administration’s drug war was a success, why do we have this large number of drugs entering the country? The controversy even swirls with the arrest of a policeman caught with the drugs. The former PNP chief was silent about it before issuing a statement a few days before his retirement. This could confirm that syndicates have indeed grown “stronger, wealthier, and more influential.”

I have said that if a country like the United States cannot control its own drug problems, having someone saying he could eradicate the problem in the country in three months, then six, and so on was a dream. It was lip service during an election campaign. Marcos said his administration would have a different approach. It would start with removing erring policemen. But this large haul of shabu involving a policeman occurred only months into his administration. He also said he is not interested in the small fish, which incidentally thousands that supposedly shot it out with policemen, the “nanlabans”, were killed during the previous administration, but with the “bigger guys”. The suppliers, the heads of drug syndicates, and cartels. He also wants to focus on rehabilitation.

These are all well and good. But as we have seen time and again, political will plays a large part in the success of any political promise. Marcos still has a lot of years to fulfill these statements but realistically, I don’t believe one can actually eradicate or even modify the drug problem in six years, or even more. The US has been trying to for decades. They have the same problems as we have albeit on a much larger scale. The cartels are bigger, more powerful, and more influential. We may no longer see persons with heads wrapped in duct or packaging tape with signs around their necks. I do hope we no longer have cases like Kian Delos Santos or Carl Arnaiz which, by the way, are the only cases where the police involved were tried and convicted, as opposed to the thousands whose real stories we may never find out.