Manila: The interior department has drawn the support of the country’s business sector in helping tens of thousands of drug addicts return to mainstream society and lead lives free from substance abuse.

According to John Castriciones, Undersecretary for operations of the Department of Interior and Local Government, 13 Filipino business leaders have agreed to contribute in an integrated drug rehabilitation programme by putting up structures that would serve as rehabilitation centres.

“We will enter into some sort of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), as to what contributions they can make to the programme or how they can participate in it. There were already initial discussions and some of them manifested that they would be willing to donate funds for the construction of rehabilitation centres,” Castriciones said.

Although drug rehabilitation centres have existed in the Philippines for decades, most of them are privately run and operated mainly as businesses. These were mainly established during times where drug use was considered a rich people’s vice. But in recent years when the prices of illicit substances like crystal methamphetamine or shabu and other drugs had gone down significantly, even the poor have become victims and peddlers.

According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), more than three million Filipinos are currently hooked to drugs.

“At present, only 70,000 can be committed to the rehabilitation centres but the rest can undergo what we call the comprehensive community-based rehabilitation where they will be given outpatient assistance,” he said.

He said the comprehensive rehabilitation programme plans to address the reformation of at least 700,000 drug addicts who had surrendered under President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs drive.

The programme involves the construction of four additional rehabilitation centres nationwide. These include two rehabilitation facilities in Luzon, one in Visayas and another one in Mindanao. Each rehabilitation centre can accommodate at least 500 drug addicts who have surrendered. Another proposal calls for the construction of one rehabilitation centre in each of the 17 regions.

According to Bishop Pablo Virgilo David of the Diocese of Caloocan in Northern Metro Manila, most of those who resort to using drugs have family problems.

“What is the cause of addiction? Is it the exposure to drugs? No. It is caused by loneliness and imprisonment away from the community? … A person truly needs a family, friends, and acceptance from his own community … In order to solve our problem regarding drugs, we must strengthen the ties of all Filipino families,” he explained during a speech in Malolos City.

He insisted that while drug addicts must all be punished, they must not be treated like “junkies.”

“I believe that the campaign against drugs must be implemented well. It destroys our families and our nation as a whole. We must have a government and police force with a firm political will. Do you think that drug addicts must be treated like junkies that are good as dead?,” he said.

“In the eyes of God, none of us are junkies,” he added.