The mood of those who rejoice at former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s (FPRRD) arrest reminds me of the unreason that drives lynch mobs in movie Westerns. I can’t say I blame those that have kin and friends killed in FPRRD’s war against drugs. Yet, their almost fully emotional reaction together with the equally emotional reaction of FPRRD’s supporters make for a national “epidemic of unreason,” a volatile mix that can only serve to shatter both truth and justice.
It is never right to oversimplify an issue but I have to keep my sanity, so this is how I do it. FPRRD is a human being that, like any other, should be held accountable for crimes he might have committed. But FPRRD is Filipino and like any Filipino should be made to account for his crimes by his sovereign country’s courts. Recent events have rendered this last point moot and academic. His fate is now in the hands of the International Criminal Court, thanks but no thanks to the lack of self-respect of leaders who refuse to stand up for our sovereign right to make him accountable.
To FPRRD’s credit, he alone of all our leaders waged a no-nonsense war against drugs. However, he made the gross error of tossing our laws in the conduct of the war. Thus reasonable Filipinos on both sides of the aisle demand for his arrest and trial by our domestic courts. The same reason demands that he be accorded the law’s due process and presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This begs the question: what do we do now with the drug problem? I am told that drugs are coming back with a vengeance now that FPRRD has been “neutralized.” This calls for the continuance of the war against drugs. Otherwise, if all we do is punish FPRRD, drug lords and their political and police backers will be laughing their hearts out as their criminal business thrives now that nobody dares stand up to them in FPRRD’s deadly manner. If FPRRD warred against drugs the illegal way, by all means the war on drugs must go on but this time legally and as state policy. We cannot be rejoicing at FPRRD’s arrest but leave the drug problem to fester and wreak havoc on young and not so young Filipino lives.
The continuing war against drugs should target primarily drug lords and their accomplices in government, suppliers and pushers. They are the principal villains that should be prosecuted according to our local laws but yet accorded due process and presumed innocent until convicted by a court of law.
No country has ever waged a war against the drug menace without extrajudicial killings. Nevertheless, we still have to try and uphold the inviolability of human life. Addicts, at least, should be treated as victims with mental health challenges. Thus, the war should include a serious rehabilitation program. Finally, the war should involve all of society’s institutions. Filipino families, churches, schools and civic groups should all have their respective anti-drug programs.
The drug war has to be waged from now on in the most human way possible. Easier said than done but it must be done.