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.

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 approach 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 approach 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 approach 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.

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. It seems that some LAPD officers have recently come

here with their colleagues. Of course, 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.