Philippine Drug War: Governing by means of Killing

A position paper to Upon this Rock Christian Academy Inc.

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for Social Studies subject.

Hannah Rose Paez

Ella Solamo

Jhanna Cayetano

Jonathan II Sales

S.Y. 2019-2020

Philippine Drug War: Governing by means of Killing

I. Background

This research opposes the idea of plans, methods and executions that the Duterte administration

used in dealing against the drug war in the Philippines.

Upon assuming office in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte brought upon the anti-drug policy,

which was meant as extermination of illegal activities of drug trafficking and addiction in the country.

He proclaimed that he’d finish the drug war in less than 6 months but now in the year 2020; did he really

succeed in his promise? Many innocent lives were lost due to the drug war, but did the policy indeed

helped against drugs? There rise abuse of power even among government officials and police officers,

what went wrong?

II. Supporting Stand

“If the drug war was waged in those communities it would spark such outrage that the war would end

overnight. This literal war is waged in segregated, impoverished communities defined largely by race,

and the targets are the most vulnerable, least powerful people in our society.” By Michelle Alexander

Many of the drug suspects that had been killed in the drug war are mostly poor and lived in

impoverished areas. Killings are always done at night time and sometimes in their own homes. The

perpetrators are vigilantes, hired guns and likely cops. Most notable cases are the “Oplan Tokhang”.

The Philippine National Police reported that 5,552 suspects were killed in police operations from

July 1, 2016 to November 30, 2019. However, this number does not include the extrajudicial killings of
thousands whom unidentified gunmen killed in cases that the police do not seriously investigate,

pushing the death toll to as high as 27,000 according to estimates by domestic human rights groups.

Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo stated that only about 1 percent of the estimated supply

of methamphetamine, a powerful banned stimulant known locally as "shabu", has been seized in the last

three years. Despite the number of killings and budget spent, the circulation of drugs still continues.

Many other casualties have been reported, one controversial incident is the death of Kian Delos

Santos in which the teenager was fatally shot to death by police officers during an anti-drug operation on

August 16, 2017. The official police report stated that the police officers only acted as self-defense while

actual witness accounts and CCTV footage showed that the teenager was murdered by the police

themselves.

III. Opposing Stand

“The fact remains that we have dismantled so many illegal drug factories ... caused the surrender of

thousands of drug addicts and pushers ... and neutralized high-value drug suspects,” By Salvador Panelo

Based on data from the PNP and PDEA from June 2016 to July 2019, 193,086 drug personalities

were arrested and 421,724 drug personalities surrendered. And a total of P34.75 billion worth of drugs

were seized. The drug war has prevented the drug trade into becoming a much bigger problem in the

country, for example the Mexican drug war, but hasn’t dismantled it fully.

According to PNP’s crime statistics, the crime rates in the Philippine had been reduced by a few

margin, in which statistics shows in order from May 2018 to May 2019, from 7,421 index crimes

lowered to 5,744 crimes.

 The quarterly poll of 1,200 Filipinos by Social Weather Stations returned a rating of “excellent”

for Duterte’s three-year campaign, with 82% satisfied due to a perception of less drugs and crime in the

country.

IV. Constitution

Article III of 1987 Philippine Constitution

• Section 1

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person

be denied the equal protection of the laws.

• Section 12

(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the free will shall

be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of

detention are prohibited.

• Section 14

(1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.

V. Conclusion

As stated earlier, the researchers oppose the idea of “executions” that the Duterte administration

used in dealing against the drug war in the Philippines.

 The researchers are also not in agreement with the Duterte administration’s methods and plans

for conducting in anti-drug operations. There is a need for proper and humane methods of execution and

more accurate and honest data among government officials and police officers.

The policy did “indeed” helped against drugs but considering three years had passed since

implementation, the only results would have been failure. Along with some corrupt officials taking

advantage of their power.

The government should have added more focus on rehabilitation of drug addicts, the addicts are

also humans and they also suffer from it. Drug addiction had been declared a disease to rehab, not an

excuse to kill. Instead of the police officers chasing or killing drug suspects in the streets, the

government should have also focused on pursuing towards the source of drugs and neutralizing true

“high-value” drug suspects.