SEN. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa yesterday took a dig against the PNP’s recalibrated war against illegal drugs, saying the controversial crackdown under the Duterte administration was not selective in going after targets.
While wishing the PNP would succeed in its new tack against illegal drugs by going after high-value targets, Dela Rosa said: “We didn’t discriminate as to who we are going to arrest in our war on drugs. We were not selective in the implementation of the Dangerous Drugs Act.”
Dela Rosa was the PNP chief when Oplan Tokhang was implemented under the Duterte administration.
The hardline approach against illegal drugs by the Duterte administration has been blamed by local and foreign human rights organizations for abuse and more than 30,000 deaths, although authorities said the number stands only at over 6,000.
Dela Rosa added that during his term, all violators of the law such as drug lords, drug pushers, drug traffickers, and drug users were targeted in police anti-drug operations.
Senate President Francis Escudero expressed full support for the new anti-drug strategy, saying going after the supply chain rather than small-time drug pushers and users is the right way.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil unveiled the recalibrated approach in the police force’s anti-illegal drugs strategy last Sunday, saying they will focus on the sources and supply chains in the narcotics trade instead of street-level pushers and users.
“I agree and support this new strategy. From the start, we should have focused on the supply chain given that the raw materials for shabu and cocaine mostly come from abroad and I have always questioned why the PNP catches only the petty pushers and not a single or several drug lords or drug lords,” Escudero told reporters in a chance interview yesterday.
He added that if the new strategy succeeds, it would make the supply of drugs scarce and prices prohibitive for new and old drug users, hopefully lowering drug prevalence and the number of users in the country.
Escudero said the public has long been asking authorities to go after big-time drug lords and the supply chain.
“Matagal naman talaga na dapat ginawa ‘yun. Dapat kasabay nu’ng nasa baba, unahin nila ‘yung nasa taas. Dahil sa drug campaign ng PNP, matagal nang hinahanap ng ating mga kababayan na may mahuli silang malaking kriminal talaga kaugnay ng drug war at hindi ‘yung mga maliliit na courier lamang (They should have done it a long time ago. They should have gone after those in the top instead of focusing on small-time pushers and users. The public wants them to catch big-time criminals instead of petty drug couriers),” Escudero said.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the new strategy shows that Oplan Tokhang failed to make a big dent in the narcotics trade.
She said what is needed, aside from going after the supply chain, is a public health approach and a rules-based strategy in going after organized drug syndicates and other crimes associated with the drug trade such as money laundering and extortion.
“But solving a problem of this magnitude requires a comprehensive, holistic strategy.
Targeting dealers and syndicates is just one aspect, it’s also crucial to address the demand side through harm reduction, treatment, and prevention,” Hontiveros said.
“History proved that Oplan Tokhang was not effective. I am hoping the new strategy will be much more effective and will respect the rights of the people. We will also continue to monitor the implementation of this new strategy,” she said.
Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III also vowed to support the new strategy, saying the approach is “correct.”
“Correct ‘yan. Target the ‘suppliers.’ Diyan mahahanap ang tunay na drug lords,” Pimentel said.
Sen. Robin Padilla said the important thing is to get rid of all criminals on the streets, not only the drug pushers and users.
“Simple lang ang hinihingi ng taumbayan, law and order (The public only wants law and order),” Padilla said.
In his third State of the Nation Address last month, President Marcos Jr. touted the accomplishments of his administration’s anti-drug war, saying it did not include killing drug suspects.
Marcos added his administration’s anti-drug campaign has resulted in the seizure of P44 billion worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of more than 97,000 drug personalities nationwide.
