Name: Domingo, Rocel C.

Date: November 19, 2021

Course/Year/Section: BSA 2A Rating: _______________

CASE ANALYSIS
PRESIDENT DUTERTE WAR ON DRUGS:
EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLING

I. SUMMARY

During the campaign, Rodrigo Duterte said drug trafficking and drug addiction are

major obstacles to economic and social development in the Philippines. He promised

widespread persecution of dealers and drug addicts, similar to the persecution he engaged

in while serving as mayor of Davao, one of the largest cities on the island of Mindanao in

the southern Philippines. When Duterte became president in June, he urged the public to

“act and kill” drug addicts. His rhetoric is widely considered in favor of extrajudicial

killings because it creates conditions for those who believe it is appropriate to kill drug

users and traffickers. This was followed by attacks by drug dealers and militants suspected

or suspected of being drug addicts. The police are conducting an extensive search operation.

Philippine police also released a list of high-ranking political officials and other influential

individuals suspected of being involved in the drug trade.

By early December, nearly 6,000 people had died. About 2,100 people died in

police operations, and the rest were killed by so-called "Investigation Deaths," short for

vigilante murder. There is also information that between 500,000 and 700,000 people have

surrendered to the police. More than 40,000 people were arrested. While human rights
 groups and political leaders have voiced their opposition to repression, President Duterte

has been relatively successful in keeping the legislature from engaging in serious oversight

or investigation of the war. Senator Leila de Lima, former chairman of the Philippine

Human Rights Commission and former Attorney General of the administration,

condemned the war on drugs and held a hearing on human rights violations related to these

extrajudicial killings. But in August, Duterte argued that there was evidence that de Lima

had an affair with a driver who used drugs and raised money for drug protection while he

was justice minister. De Lima was later removed from the position of Chairman of the

Inquiry Committee by 164 elected members of the Senate Committee.

The Philippines' war on drugs has received widespread public support. President

Duterte's approval rating is around 86%, according to the most recent national poll on

President's Achievement and Trust Rating, conducted by Pulse Asia Research from

September 25 to October 1. While some are concerned about this death, others support his

position as president. Duterte also supports various poverty reduction programs and

strategies. The World Bank's latest quarterly report speaks positively about Duterte's

economic plans. The fact that he wants to work on social and economic inequality makes

people not perceive the war on drugs as a war on the poor.

II. ANALYSIS

Thousands of people have died in the Philippines since President Rodrigo Duterte

began the "war on drugs" on June 30, 2016, when he took office. Among the deaths were

dozens of children under the age of 18 who were specially selected or accidentally shot

during an anti-drug raid, which authorities call "collateral damage." A Philippine Non-

Governmental Organization (NGO) working for children's rights estimates that between
July 2016 and December 2018, both targeted and killed as bystanders. More deaths of

children have been reported in the media in 2019 and 2020.

Because there are no tests, there is no evidence that the people killed are actually

drug dealers or addicts. This situation shows the weakness of human rights institutions and

discourse in the face of popular and experienced populist leaders. This is in contrast to the

arrests of university students under the Marcos regime or the attacks on activists under the

first Aquino regime, which provoked public outrage. Drug traffickers and addicts are

stigmatized groups and stigmatized groups always find it difficult to gain political support

to defend their rights.

Violence is not good because it will lead to more violence. Whether it's extrajudicial

killings as we've seen, drug dealers fighting each other or their subordinates, trying to cover

up their whereabouts, removing witnesses, or local. Moreover, the number of deaths does

not imply a decline in drug use. Users will grow faster than those who promote drug use

die as long as the drug is profitable and helps avoid problems or is simply used for

entertainment.

A comprehensive nonviolent alternative course of action is essential given the

challenges the Philippines faces in the drug trade and the nature of its response to drug

traffickers and drug users. The move to decriminalize illicit drugs will not only provide a

significant opportunity to disable the drug trade, but also provide compassionate services

and programs to drug addicts. Instead of harassing drug users with violence and

imprisonment, social programs can address the diverse needs of drug users and provide a

stronger foundation on which to successfully fight addiction. The course of using violence

and state power to limit the activity of drug dealers and drug users has failed miserably and
 has claimed the lives of many. This course prevents people from avoiding cycles that can

improve their lives and perpetuate and promote drug use. Having programs and support

systems that can live without dying and deal with a variety of issues can effectively reduce

crime and revitalize communities.

The main challenge in implementing such non-criminalization measures lies in the

specific norms and perspectives that affect public perception of drug use and substance

addiction. Given the challenges of non-criminalization and other harm reduction methods

in high-development Western countries, it is more difficult to implement such measures in

the Philippines. The main purpose of action to address these issues is to avoid violence.

The way Philippine police deal with the suspect's potential also needs to be reformed to

avoid escalation situations and the preventive use of deadly forces. In particular, the war

on drugs has hit drug users violently and seems to have sentenced them to death for drug

use. The issue of police corruption and abuse is a major concern, so Duterte expressed his

concern and promised to take action against corrupt police officers. The drug war and the

violence behind it provide a mechanism for easily carrying out abuse of authority. If the

number of islands in the Philippines makes it difficult to deal with various drug trafficking,

violence should be used to prevent those in need of protection and those unrelated to the

drug trade from being victims of authoritarian violence. It should be avoided as much as

possible.

III. RECOMMENDATION

The Philippines' judicial system is perceived as very slow and corrupt, allowing

Duterte to act aggressively and unconstructively to address the drug problem along with

widespread human rights violations. Moreover, in the face of a corrupt political system
ruled by an elite and a slow, inefficient and equally corrupt judiciary, people are willing to

tolerate this politician who promised something and is now fulfilling it.

It is necessary to create a rehabilitation clinic for the treatment of drug addicts who

want improvement or need correction. When well managed by properly trained and

experienced staff using proven methods, addicts can be reformed and returned to a society

where they can become useful members. But to prevent drug use, especially among young

people, more rewards and costs are needed. As with preventive medicine, programs that

help young people out of the drug trap would be a more effective solution. Schools, even

among out-of-school youth, should have programs that young people find useful and

interesting, and activities that take time, make them fun and useful.

Sports activities are one thing. When large, youth-focused sports programs are

introduced across the country, there will be no drug use because not only will we have the

best athletes, but we will also engage in athletics. Naturally, illicit drugs that unreasonably

enhance athletic performance are not expected to be used or even thought of. And that's

where the mindset has to come in. Lectures, demonstrations, and experienced staff who

view, work, and direct drug rehabilitation programs tell informative stories about the

disastrous consequences of drug use. Schools should be the main target because there are

young people.

It should involve the police against the drug trade and the police who, based on

their experience, have developed a way to determine how drug dealers can be caught and

set off for rehabilitation or trial. The police have to constantly confiscate drugs and arrest

drug dealers in order to make them less or less attractive. This is especially true if a change

in attitude has diminished public interest. Disseminate and use knowledge and vigilance
regarding drug use. In fact, this is a war on drugs. But make it an effective war, not just the

indiscriminate killing of suspected drug addicts, traffickers, or drug lords who will soon be

replaced by others. Because the same attitude towards drug use and seduction remains open.

Hence, the fight to eradicate drugs is primarily by changing attitudes, defining

values, maintaining discipline, and providing useful (all types of education, from

professional to academic), interesting and respectable alternative activities. You have to

fight. Let's take a serious look at more effective ways to wage war to get rid of the drug

problem between us.

References:

Xu, M. (2016, December 16). Human Rights and Duterte’s War on Drugs. Council on Foreign

Relations. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://www.cfr.org/interview/human-

rights-and-dutertes-war-drugs

Ongpin, M. I. (2016, November 17). Drug war alternatives. The Manila Times. Retrieved

November 19, 2021, from

https://www.manilatimes.net/2016/11/18/opinion/analysis/drug-war-alternatives/297134