It’s not funny,’ HRW says of Duterte’s joke on marijuana use

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Wednesday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest
statement about using marijuana is an insult to the victims of the administration’s campaign
against illegal drugs.

HRW Asia director Brad Adams said that the statement of Duterte on marijuana use is not a
laughing matter.

“Duterte’s supposed joke is not funny: since his ‘war on drugs’ began in June 2016, the police
and unidentified assailants have summarily killed more than 12,000 people, mostly under-
employed young men,” Adams said in a dispatch.

“Marijuana is illegal in the Philippines, and Duterte’s admission of using it – whether in jest or
not – undermines the rationale for his ‘drug war’ and exposes its murderous hypocrisy. It adds
cruel insult to injury for the victims and their families,” he added.

On Monday evening, Duterte admitted in his speech during a conferment awards to the Asean-
National Organizing Council officials that he was taking marijuana to keep awake from his busy
schedule.

“It’s a killing activity, and I think that at my age — ako hindi masyado, kasi nagmamarijuana ako
eh, para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya,” he said.

READ: Duterte admits using marijuana to keep him awake

He immediately retracted his claim during an ambush interview with reporters after the event,
saying that it was one of his jokes.

READ: Duterte on ‘admission’ to marijuana use: ‘It was a joke’

Adams further urged Duterte to order his policemen to stop arresting and killing people using
illegal drugs in the country following his admission.

“Perhaps this episode will push Duterte to realize his hypocrisy and order the police to stop
arresting and killing people who, like himself, personally benefit from cannabis. Otherwise, why
shouldn’t the anti-drug agents knock on the door of Malacañang?” he said.

According to the latest government data, nearly 5,000 individuals have been killed in the
administration’s war on drug campaign since July 2016 up to October 2018.

Meanwhile, about 161,584 were arrested by authorities from various police operations during
the same time period.

READ: PDEA: Almost 5,000 killed in Duterte’s war on drugs as of Oct. 2018

Adams then suggested to Duterte that if he was not joking in his alleged drug use, he may
perhaps support the idea of legalizing marijuana for medical needs.

“If Duterte wasn’t joking, then perhaps he will support the global trend to legalize cannabis use
to help alleviate medical conditions,” Adams said.

“Human Rights Watch believes that personal drug use, being a matter of individual choice
protected by international law, should be decriminalized,” he added.

In an interview on Tuesday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told the public to use
their common sense in determining whether Duterte is joking or not.

“One, we use our common sense; number two, makikita mong nagbibiro siya pag tumatawa
iyong taong nasa harap na niya. Kasi ang joke ay ginagawa iyan para tumawa tayo di ba, ngayon
kapag hindi ka tumawa, meron kang sinabi na sa tingin mo joke, eh ibig sabihin offended ang
mga nakikinig sa iyo,” Panelo said.