The truth about drug epidemic

June 2, 2018 Opinion Sideglance

There is nothing simple when it comes to the illegal drugs trade still prevalent in the country. Even with ‘Operation Tokhang’ and the incessant waging of the war on drugs by the present administration of President Rodrigo Duterte there seems to be no end to the discovery of huge caches of illegal drugs particularly ‘shabu’ and the apparently rampant selling of this kind of drug in almost all areas of the country.

President Duterte is right, there is indeed a gargantuan drug problem in our country and however committed our authorities and the government is in putting a stop to this nasty epidemic it would seem as if there is no stopping the flow of illegal drug into the country. Just very recently several arrests were made because of an attempt to bring into the country other kinds of illegal drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy both in its tablet and liquid form.

While there is a massive effort on the part of the government, partly on the fulfillment of the campaign promise of the president to eradicate the illegal drug menace, to stem and prevent the further proliferation of illegal, there is also that nasty itch on the back of our minds that despite any honest effort at deterrence and prevention illegal drugs will still be a menace to society. The truth about the drug problem is that in a nation that is constantly fighting poverty the allure of easy money in the selling of these illegal drugs is a big come on and an allure that is difficult to refuse especially for those living near or below the poverty line.

Poverty and unemployment are the big factors that allow drug lords and their cohorts to continue plying their nefarious trade knowing that they will always have a steady supply of mules, runners, small-time drug dealers and even enforcers (assassins) willing to do their wishes for a small slice of the drug pie.

At the pace in which the drug war campaign is being waged pretty soon there will not be enough space in jails or holding centers to accommodate all of those arrested on suspicion of being involved in the drug trade. The same is true with cemeteries, which will be steadily filled with the bodies of drug suspects who fight it out with the authorities leading to violent encounters. All in all a serious problem that has to be resolved by the government if it intends to continue with its war against drugs.

Of course we are still fortunate that we are not in a drug situation similar to that of Mexico where armed drug syndicates brutally torture and kill those who would oppose them and have no qualms about doing murder even against agents of the government or public officials in that country. In fact in Mexico it is oftentimes the numerous drug syndicates themselves who are killing one another in order to take over their drug rival’s territory or to maintain and preserve their drug enclaves.

Let us hope that in a few more years and before President Digong steps down from office he would have accomplished what he has set out to do and that is to degrade if not eradicate the rampant selling of illegal drugs in the country.