When the Philippines announced a war against drugs 17 months ago, many were sceptical. But President Rodrigo Duterte stuck to his decision and today the government has reported gains never achieved by similar campaigns in the past.
The numbers are staggering —1,308,000 suspected drug pushers and drug users have surrendered, and arrests have made the already crowded jails to overflow.
From July 2016 to September 2017 alone, a total 3,850 drug suspects have been killed. Defeating drug syndicates and cutting the supply of drugs was one of the pillars of the administration’s social transformation campaign.
But the campaign has not been without fault. The national and international media has heaped scorn on the unconventional and often heavy handed way of curbing the drug menace.
Innocent lives were lost in the crossfire and there have been a number of cases when suspects were reportedly tortured before being killed.
Traffickers often use innovative ways to push drugs so that children begin abusing these substances even before they are in their teens. Therefore the onus of tackling this menace lies not only with the authorities but on all who live in society.
Duterte has started the cleanup act, but he must also listen to the people. Any action which goes out of hand will eventually come back to haunt the leadership.
Lessons must be learnt on how best to stem the flow of drugs and measures have to be taken to ensure that people can live a life free from the fear of drug pushers. Ultimately, only a combined effort from the government and the people will bring lasting results.
