Japan inks drug rehab plan

MANILA: The Philippines and Japan signed a ¥1.85 billion grant agreement yesterday to shore up the drug rehabilitation component of the Southeast Asian country’s anti-drug campaign.

Susumu Ito, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in the Philippines, said Japan hopes the grant will enable the drug rehabilitation programme to “contribute to reducing relapse risk and eventually integrate [drug users] back into their communities”.

“We stand together with the [Department of Health] in enhancing rehabilitation and treatment protocols,” Mr Ito said during the signing ceremony in Manila, which was also attended by the Philippines’ health secretary, Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial.

In addition to the joint drug rehabilitation programme, dubbed the CARE programme, Japan will also continue its partnership with the Philippines in tackling other key health issues, Mr Ito added.

Ms Ubial said the grant, worth about 826 million pesos, will be used for infrastructure projects as well as offering technical assistance in training and capacity building for local health workers involved in drug rehabilitation.

“Right now we have around 12,000 patients in about 44 rehabilitation centres nationwide,” 14 of which are run by the government, she said. However, the authorities have yet to identify all the areas where infrastructure is needed.

The Philippine government is currently waging a massive anti-illegal drug campaign nationwide, as promised during the election campaign season last year by President Rodrigo Duterte. Critics have accused Mr Duterte of having ordered the ruthless extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in police operations.

Since Mr Duterte took office in July last year, more than 2,600 drug suspects have been killed, while more than 1,300 other killings connected to illegal drugs have also been recorded by authorities.