Sotto seeks amendment to drugs act
SEN. Vicente Sotto 3rd wants to amend the Dangerous Drugs Act by not requiring anymore drug dependents to seek court order to be admitted in government-run rehabilitation centers.
He filed on December 5 Senin government drug rehabilitaate Bill ( SB) 1628 that aims to tion facilities streamline the process for the SB 1628 amends Section 3, admission of drug dependents 54, 77 and 81 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to achieve this purpose.
Sotto noted that with the full implementation of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, thousands of users are voluntary submitting themselves to reform and undergo drug rehabilitation treatment.
“However, one of the challenges faced by the surge of these drug users or dependents is the delay in the process of admission for treatment in govern- ment facilities,” he said.
“To streamline this process, this bill aims to require that the petition for voluntary confinement be a non-litigious matter before the Dangerous Drugs Board [DDB],” Sotto added.
SB 1628 intends to amend Section 77 of RA 9165 that mandates the DDB to refer to the court any application for rehabilitation from drug dependents. The court will then order the applicant be examined for drug dependency.
Sotto wants to cut the long process before a drug dependent be admitted to a government-run rehabilitation center.
However, the bill also provides that “the applicant shall bear the treatment and rehabilitation costs if he or she opted to be treated in a private rehabilitation center.”
Sotto said that in the Philippines, “there is a stigma that a known user of prohibited drugs is deemed as a continuing nuisance to the society.”
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, like other chronic diseases, addiction can be managed successfully.
Treatment enables people to counteract addiction’s powerful disruptive effects on the brain and behavior and to regain control of their lives, Sotto said.
“Under our Constitution, it is our policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them,” he added.