ALVIN A.

EMOLAGA
CAS-01-501A

OCTOBER 21,2016
Prof. Apple Kate Sabar

SIDESTEP FOR DRUG DEPENDENTS REHABILITATION

Even before President Duterte pronounced that he will be going to run for
national position he was known for his advocacy on eradication of Illegal Drugs in
Davao City where he was the Mayor. Apparently his advocacy serves as the heartcapturer of the citizen since the proliferation of drugs in the Philippines was becoming
destructive and critical. Illegal Drugs kill the minds of the dependents and destroys
independents through dependents. By that time people thought Duterte would be the
best answer to put this problem at end taking aside his process of promoting his
advocacies. As a result of his relevancy he was elected as the 16 th President of the
Republic of the Philippines with his promise that he shall stop the flourishing of illegal
drugs in the country in just 6 months. Weeks after he assumed the office news were
filled with summary execution, extra judicial killings and nanlaban headlines. It seemed
that the execution of his platforms has been commenced. Even those who were not
involved on any illegal drugs transaction were frightened and threatened of this kind of
solution. Everybody is a suspect and may be subject to execution because there is no
longer a due process of law. On the other hand, Human Right Commission, an
independent office created by the Constitution of the Philippines with the primary
function of investigating all forms of human rights violations involving civil and
political rights in the Philippines, said that while extrajudicial killings have been

happening in every administration after Martial Law, the scale of summary killings under
President Rodrigo Duterte is unprecedented and urges the rule of law.

The said commission pointed out that killing the drug users would cause much
more ill. Instead of treating them as criminals treat them as victims, victims that deserve
treatment more than judgement. Instead of putting their life at end, why give them a
second chance to change for a better through rehabilitation.

In the long run, The Anti-Drug Campaign of the current Administration has
caused the capitulation of more than 700,000 drug suspects to the authorities. Quite
overwhelming knowing that there are only a total of 44 Department of Health-accredited
rehabilitation centers nationwide, 28 of which are operated by non-government
organizations, 12 are government-owned, and four are maintained by local government
units. Not sufficient for the accommodation of prodigious surrendered drug suspects.

The Government should allocate a budget for construction of more rehabilitation

center for drug dependents. If possibly, one rehabilitation center per province presumed
that there is no province that has zero drug users for it to be more accessible. It is also
good idea of funding the programs of barangays in line with Drug Rehabilitations.
Moreover, Sen. Vicente Sotto III on amendment Republic Act 7875 or the Act instituting
a National Health Insurance Program for all Filipinos and establishing the PhilHealth, as
amended by RA 9241 is auspicious notion as it mandates the accredited health care
provider to charge a reasonable and affordable fee the drug dependent and who have
submitted themselves to treatment.

Using other forms in rehabilitating drug user could also be an effective way of
rehabilitation. Such as training them in farm schools that comes with a budget allotment
to Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Aside from
recovering them from addiction they can learn new things that they may use to earn
money. In Olongapo, drug users are taught carpentry and paid 5,000 Philippine pesos a
month to build the coffins which is run by the local government. If this idea will be
considered to all local government units in the Philippines it would achieve 3 causes.
Just like hitting three birds in one stone, attainment of effective drug rehabilitation,
increase of human force and as well elimination of crimes involving illegal drugs.