Opposition solons tell Duterte: Time to take a different route vs. drug menace

Opposition lawmakers from the House of Representatives on Thursday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to take a new route in eliminating the drug menace in the country after he admitted that could not control the illegal drug trade even as he ordered suspects killed.

In a statement, Akbayan party-list Representative Tom Villarin said Duterte's admission only shows that the public was taken for a ride in believing he could rid the country of illegal drugs.

"It's high time President Duterte takes a different tack to the illegal drug problem by involving international bodies to interdict supply and their capacity to move drug money internationally," Villarin said.

"Likewise, we need to look into and learn from the experience of other countries in addressing the drug problem," he added.

For instance, Villarin said Duterte may adopt polices under the lens of health.

"Addiction is a disease that needs long-term intervention and rehabilitation, not to mention harm reduction approaches in treating drug dependents. It's a whole-of-society approach and not a purely law enforcement problem," he added.

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano echoed Villarin's statement, saying that there is a problem-solution mismatch as regards the drug problem and the administration's current approach has been proven ineffective.

"We can adopt policies to rehabilitate drug users in the country. In fact, in the Lower House, I have filed resolutions to study this ongoing drug campaign and bills which aim to institute rehabilitation centers in every region of the country and to enact substance abuse resistance education program for the youth," Alejano said.

"At the same time, as we improve our justice system, we must penalize those who continuously poison our youth and our lands. One must not claim to be anti-narcotics advocate if he or she befriends and sets big-time drug lords free," he added.

In a speech at the PDP-Laban campaign rally in Malabon City on Tuesday, Duterte admitted that he could do nothing to control illegal drugs even after he had ordered drug suspects killed.

"Ang droga hindi ko nga makontrol. P— ina, pinapatay ko na ang mga hindot na ‘yan. Nandiyan pa rin ‘yung droga. Mas lalo tuloy tumindi," he said.

ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro said the war on drugs is doomed to fail because it does not address the root cause of the problem and it only targets the victims of drugs, not the drug lords.

Fellow ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, meanwhile, said that Duterte's real intent in the drug war is to protect big-time drug lords while he slaughters poor Filipinos with no due process.

"Now he has to answer not only these crimes against humanity but also for his and his family's  close ties with alleged drug lords like the former presidential adviser Michael Yang," Tinio said.

Kabataan party-list Representative Sarah Elago, on the other hand said that while other social issues are left unsolved, the ordinary Filipinos will continue to fall victims in the drug war.

"Hangga't hindi nireresolba ang problema sa kahirapan at trabaho ng mga mahihirap at hangga't hindi inuugat at napapanagot ang malalaking druglord, sa huli't huli, mga mamamayang Pilipino ang paulit -ulit na tatargetin at papatayin ng drug war ni Duterte," she said. —LDF, GMA News