ATTY. PACHICO A. SEARES:

Not a matter of wrongful branding but of illegal killings. Targeting mostly the poor and sparing the rich and powerful tends to weaken the state’s brand

The nation and the world are presented two clashing versions of the anti-illegal drugs campaign that President Duterte has waged. Duterte has called it a “war on drugs,” with drug traffickers and drug protectors as the enemy. Blood would flow on streets and corpses would feed Manila Bay’s sharks, he said. In its investigation of the war the Human Rights Watch condemns and world leaders worry about, Amnesty International (AI) alleges that it’s a “war on the poor,” not a “war on drugs.” Duterte’s message resonates with most of the populace while the AI version disputes its thrust and results.→

The nation and the world are presented two clashing versions of the anti-illegal drugs campaign that President Duterte has waged. Duterte has called it a “war on drugs,” with drug traffickers and drug protectors as the enemy. Blood would flow on streets and corpses would feed Manila Bay’s sharks, he said.

In its investigation of the war the Human Rights Watch condemns and world leaders worry about, AI alleges that it’s a “war on the poor,” not a “war on drugs.” Duterte’s message resonates with most of the populace while the AI version disputes its thrust and results.

Apparently, both sides have used branding to promote each one’s cause. “War on drugs” has rallied the nation behind Duterte. A.I. has eroded public approval of his methods by showing that most of the casualties are poor.

Upper-hand

Whose brand would succeed? Duterte has the upper hand: it has won public approval in the pop- ularity surveys, so far. The scandal of police and NBI using the war for corruption may have shaken that trust. Recognizing it, the president has limited the offensive to PDEA, pulling out PNP and NBI. Officially, the “drug war” is suspended but with no assurance the executions would stop.

Duterte was right in choosing his brand. What A.I. seems to be doing is exposing its major flaw: most of the victims are the powerless poor, leaving the influential rich to buy their way out of harm’s way.

Reforms

If Duterte must resume the war on drugs, it has to correct the major flaws: selective choice of target and use of murder to stop the drug crime. And reforms in police, prosecution, penology and judiciary must come with the review and adjustment.

For now, amid the brand competition, many Filipinos seem to disregard the rising body count, as long as they and their loved ones are not in the pile of corpses.