What’s missing?

Batas Mauricio

IRONICALLY, the greatest indictment against the Duterte government’s war on drugs which appear to have been anchored on the killing, brutal or otherwise, of drug addicts and drug lords, big or small, since the start of President Duterte’s term on July 01, 2016, has come from a top official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Panay Island.

The police official, identified in news reports as Supt. Gilbert Gorero, the spokesman of the Western Visayas PNP, may not have been aware of it, but his statement quoted in the press (see http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/811298/sueno-meet-provoked-odicta-slay) confirms that, even if drug addicts or drug lords are eliminated in the ongoing Duterte war on drugs, others will simply take their place and continue trading in illegal drugs.

I believe that even Duterte realizes this when, after being informed of the killing of suspected Iloilo drug lords Melvin Odicta Sr. and his wife Merriam Odicta a few days ago, he said, “who wants to take over Odicta’s place, there’s a vacancy now…” (see http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/810905/ilonggo-dragon-slain). Indeed, no matter the deadly Duterte campaign against drug lords, others will simply replace those who have fallen, as fast as the eyes can wink.

This is so because, even now, it is reported that the sale of drugs continues generally unabated in many areas of the country. In short, pushing of drugs, particularly shabu, is continuing. Drug pushing, particularly shabu, continues to be a greatly profitable enterprise for many, because many Filipinos continue to patronize illegal drugs.

In a report from the Agence France Presse (AFP) that got published online on Aug. 28, 2016 which can be accessed at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/810432/addictisks-all-in-deadly-philippine-drug-war, the stark reality of continuing proliferation of drugs is very clear, and is of course making a big mockery of Duterte’s campaign.

Parts of the AFP news report said: “In (a) Manila slum, the violence and security presence has slowed the drug trade and made shabu more expensive. But lots are still available, in what could be a worrying sign for Duterte who vowed during the election campaign that he could completely wipe out the trade within six months. `If you want to buy, you just go stand there on the street and somebody will approach you,’ said (a news source), who took his first hit of shabu when he was 13…”

Faced with the undeniable truth that the drugs problem may not really be solved during Duterte’s six-year term from 2016 to 2022 even if all the current drug lords and drug pushers in the list of the PNP are killed during this period because others will simply replace them, the most inevitable question to ask is this: What is it that is missing in the Duterte campaign?

The answer, with due respect, is not too difficult to see. The missing link is the transformation of Filipino users so that they could either altogether stop the habit of imbibing drugs, or, for those who have not been hooked yet, to refrain from trying even a bit of shabu. If Filipinos will no longer use or patronize shabu or other illegal drugs, there would be no drug trade any longer.

Unfortunately, however, there seems to be no one in the Duterte government who is looking into how this transformation could be effected. My simple suggestion is this: revive the Cabinet post for ecclesiastical matters–last held by a guy named Dodie Limcaoco–which should then embark on bringing back Filipinos to God, encouraging them to fully listen to His Word (whatever the Word is called by them), and obeying God’s commands on loving Him and loving others!

E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com