Time to shift strategy in the war on drugs

September 30, 2017 Opinion Sideglance

With the seeming endless supply of the illegal drug shabu being circulated in the country it is high time for the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to change gears in their on-going war on drugs and try to focus their attention towards stemming and preventing the entry of shabu into the country.

With the seeming endless supply of the illegal drug shabu being circulated in the country it is high time for the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte to change gears in their on-going war on drugs and try to focus their attention towards stemming and preventing the entry of shabu into the country.

It is already admitted by no less than the President, of course basing his announcements on intelligence information gathered from a multitude of sources, that shabu continues to enter the country either from China, where it was originally sourced, or Taiwan with the involvement and participation of local gangster s and the Bamboo Triad Gangs abroad.

The Triads as they are called at big time criminal syndicates who not only are engage in the manufacture and selling of illegal drugs such as shabu but are also actively engaged in other illegal activities such as extortion rackets, gun running and murder  among others.

The fact that they are connected to the distribution and sale of shabu in the country is already a matter that has become public knowledge given that even the National Penitentiary has been used as a base by these triads to expand their lucrative but illegal activity. Now that the President has correctly identified the main source of shabu as well as the big time distributors from abroad who are in cahoots with local gangs and even bandit groups such as the Abu Sayaff it is now a matter for the government to find ways and means to put a stop to the supply line and chain and thus prevent and finally put an end to the entry of shabu into the country.

Instead of going after small time dealers and pushers in the streets as well as the so called protectors of the illegal trade of shabu perhaps the government can now find time and allocate more resources in the interdiction of illegal drugs flowing into the country both through the maritime corridors (high seas and other inland waters of the archipelago) and land masses (isolated islands and porous ports).

It would be nice if the government can buy some more navy gunboats with the capability to outrun, out-evade and out-distance other boats used by drug distributors in ferrying shabu into our country. It would also seem necessary to tighten ports and other harbors where shipments of shabu can be surreptitiously included with other legitimate baggage in order to pass the scrutiny of inspectors.

If need be the government and administration of President Duterte should initiate measures aimed at cordoning off and strengthening our porous borders both along land and sea so that shabu can be stemmed off even before it would reach our shores. The administration of Digong is fast running out of options to stamp out illegal drugs in the country it is time to shift strategy towards a more permanent and lasting campaign to eradicate drugs in the country.