War on drugs does not work – Callamard
The war on drugs does not work as it breeds more problems for governments engaged in it, United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard said yesterday.
Without directly referring to the Philippines, Callamard said ill-conceived drug policies could unleash more problems like rampant killings, vigilante crimes and an overall breakdown of the rule of law.
“The general assembly of the world’s governments recognized explicitly that the ‘war on drugs’ – be it community based, national or global – does not work,” she said in her keynote speech at a drug policy forum at the University of the Philippines (UP).
“Badly thought out, ill-conceived drug policies not only fail to address substantively drug dependency, drug-related criminality and the drug trade.
They add more problems, as has been well documented around the world, including by United Nations bodies and the special rapporteur,” she pointed out.
“Let me be clear. In countries where the perverse consequences of ill-thought out drug policies were reported, in none of these countries did the drug problem disappear. In fact, the opposite happened,” she added.
Discussing the Philippine drug situation, Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) chairman Benjamin Reyes said what is often being highlighted is the enforcement aspect and not the entire government policy in addressing the issue of drug proliferation.
“We are not limited to the enforcement side of the campaign. Unfortunately, that’s what the media is covering right now,” Reyes explained.
“We are implementing 24 prevention and training programs that have been approved by the Colombo Plan and the UN,” he said in his presentation.
Callamard, along with different international experts, is in the country for the conference organized by the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) Anti-Death Penalty Task Force, in partnership with UP and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
She maintained that she is in the country for academic purposes and not as a special rapporteur.
In her speech, Callamard said world governments agreed in a joint commitment last year to respect, protect and promote all human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law as well as to vigorously pursue the development and implementation of drug policies.
“What governments did not commit to last year was ‘the war on drugs’ approach. Quite to the contrary, they called for what amounts to a balanced, multi-faceted, multidisciplinary approach, and they placed great emphasis on health, rights and justice,” she said.
Callamard also lamented the challenges to human rights experienced across the globe.
“What is exceptional is the fact that the very idea of human rights is being questioned and in many places rejected. The attacks we are witnessing on universal, indivisible rights – the undermining of equality, dignity and accountability – share similarities wherever they take place,” she added.
“Most crucially, however, this rejection of human rights is predicated on a rejection of our common humanity,” she pointed out.
She noted that those who often do not fit in society – the minorities, political opponents, indigenous peoples, the poor and even drug users and pushers – are denied of their humanity and human standing.
“Their demonization – and the unaccountable empowerment of authority that accompanies it – pushes open a door onto an abyss – a void into which humanity has thrown itself before with awful consequences – because, of course, one cannot deny the humanity of some people without losing humanity for all people,” she added.
Callamard noted there are better options for addressing the issue of drug proliferation, saying goodwill of all stakeholders is important for the crafting of a drug policy that upholds the right of the people.
“People living in life’s shadows are not to be abandoned there. We are not to be abandoned there,” she added.
Revised anti-drug policy
Reyes, meanwhile, said they are set to submit to Malacañang on Monday a revised version of the Philippine AntiIllegal Drug Strategy. The new strategy, he said, would be aligned with the priorities of the administration.
He said the goals of the new policy, which would be embodied in an executive order, would incorporate available principles and tools provided by prevention science and latest evidence-based treatments.
A review of existing programs will also be conducted to measure their effectiveness.
During his presentation, Reyes also addressed the issue of killings reportedly committed in connection with the war on drugs.
He said only 2,692 people died in drug operations conducted by law enforcement authorities, disputing the bigger number reported by human rights groups and the media.
Reyes said the rest of the killings recorded since Duterte assumed office – a total of 9,432 – are considered homicide cases under investigation. Of the number, 1,847 were found to be drug-related, while 1,894 are not drug-related. The rest are still under investigation.
The official also scoffed at the use of the phrase “extrajudicial killings,” saying it connotes that the state is sponsoring crimes.
“We do not condone the killings,” he said.
Reyes said internal cleansing is being done within the law enforcement agencies to ensure that problems within the system are addressed.
“If you feel that your rights have been violated, report them so that we can investigate and take appropriate the necessary reactions to the policy,” he said.
War vs the people
In a press conference, international experts slated to speak at the drug policy forum said the war against illegal drugs is a war against the people.
Carl Hart, neuro-psychopharmacologist from Columbia University, said wars against illegal drugs are actually campaigns against the poor and the undesired in society.
“Whenever we hear people say that we’re having a war on drugs, we interpret that phrase to say it’s a war on people you don’t care about. That’s what it is essentially because there’s no such thing as a war on drugs,” he said.
“All you need to do is to look at who is being arrested, who is being killed and what you will find is that it is the undesired people in your society, the poor people in your society. So in effect, it becomes a war on those undesirable,” he added.
Pascal Tanguay, who is set to speak today on the experience of Thailand in its war on drugs, said the International Drug Policy Consortium came up with different alternatives that can be implemented to address drug proliferation.
“This book has different models and approaches that have been used in this very region, including diversion, scaling of drug reduction, including evidence-based drug dependence treatment. Essentially none of which are being implemented in the Philippines,” he said.
John Collins, director of the International Drug Policy Program of the London School of Economics, also noted that the drug prevalence in the Philippines is lower than the global average.
“There’s a perception that this is a crisis point and there has to be action or there has to be severe action. Based on data, the Philippines is probably below average in terms of consumption rate on the international scale,” he said.
He recommended a deescalation of the “militarized police response” and focus on a more targeted approach, including addressing the issue of the Philippines being a transshipment point of international drug cartels.
“Like any other development policy, you focus on the sustainable development goals, you focus on the basic principles of improving health and welfare, improving security, improving governance, improving democratic values, improving the rule of law. None of those things are assisted by the war on drugs,” said Collins.