There’s hope
Perhaps it shouldn’t be called “war.”
When the Duterte administration launched its “war” against the proliferation of illegal drugs, it apparently intended the campaign to be true to the term. Presiding that “war” and setting the tone was then Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa, whose nickname “Bato” reflected government’s hard-line stance. Soon, the killings related to that “war” began and is continuing even after dela Rosa retired.
A month after the “war” on illegal drugs was launched, the Surrender to God (SuGod) drug rehabilitation program, a faith-based private initiative attached to the Catholic Church was launched. The Catholic Church then had criticized the manner government was pursuing the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs, specifically the lack of respect for life.
About 724 former drug addicts have completed SuGod’s drug rehab program since it started, said its president Fe Mantuhac Barino. “We give the addicts scientific and spiritual intervention,” she said. “We are helping them not because we fear their situation but for them to recover and live a new life.”
It would be interesting to find out the lives that the graduates led after the program, how many of them continued and will continue to follow the straight path and how many of them had or will have a relapse. There will always be failures, but the SuGod experience should show the importance of “hope” in the campaign against illegal drugs.
The harshness of the conduct of the “war” against illegal drugs is partly a result of the thinking that those involved in the trade either as users or pushers are hopeless cases. This is obviously the reason why when government launched the “war” against illegal drugs, rehabilitation was an overlooked aspect.
Perhaps it is time for the government to broaden the campaign by putting a bigger emphasis on rehabilitation. Government actually talks about this from time to time but it has still to go beyond the talk and proceed to serious implementation of a rehab program in conjunction with the “war” it is waging.
As they say, hope springs eternal. It should also spring in the minds of those waging the “war” against illegal drugs.