JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla assured world leaders in Vienna, Austria, of the Philippines’ commitment to fight the scourge of illegal drugs with a new strategy that balances human rights and public health.
Remulla made the pitch when he spoke before the 68th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs last March 11 as the head of the Philippine delegation to the event, where he declared Manila’s unyielding commitment to combat substance abuse and drug trafficking.
“As the Philippines celebrates its 80 years of partnership with the UN as one of its founding members, we reiterate our commitment to multilateralism and the UN as the most vital platform for international cooperation to tackle our common challenges, including the world drug problem,” Remulla said.
He also presented the “human rights-based and public health-centered approach” of the Philippines to control the drug problem under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the Bagong Pilipinas government.
He emphasized that prevention, education and having a comprehensive rehabilitation program for drug-dependent individuals are the best ways to address the illegal drug problem, a clear repudiation of the bloody crackdown against those allegedly involved in the narcotics trade under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The extrajudicial killings under the drug war of the Duterte administration led to the filing of crimes against humanity charges before the International Criminal Court.
Last Tuesday, the government served the ICC-issued warrant to Duterte, leading to his arrest and eventual extradition to the ICC, a move questioned by his camp before the Supreme Court.
“The results of all these efforts are encouraging. The 2023 National Survey on Drug Abuse in the Philippines has shown a decline in drug use prevalence, with the number of drug users decreasing from 1.67 million in 2019 to 1.47 million in 2023,” Remulla said.
He said the Philippine government is conducting an executive review of the country’s drug policies while continuously employing a comprehensive “whole-of-nation” approach, integrating law enforcement, socio-economic, and health interventions to “create an effective and unified response versus dangerous drugs for the benefit of future generations.”
He also said the DOJ under his watch would step up the fight against illegal drugs by intensifying its collaborative efforts with other government and law enforcement bodies.
Even as he vowed an intensified drive against the narcotics trade, Remulla said this would be done without compromising basic human rights and respect for the dignity of every individual, as emphasized by Marcos himself several times that killings are never part of his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
