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National and Local Government Action Against Drugs

Republic Act No. 9165 or “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002”

• It is the policy of the State to safeguard the integrity of its territory and the well-being of its citizenry particularly
the youth, from the harmful effects of dangerous drugs on their physical and mental well-being, and to defend
the same against acts of omissions detrimental to their development and preservation. In the view of the
foregoing, the State needs to enhance further the efficacy of the law against dangerous drugs, it being one
of today’s more serious social ills.
• Toward this end, the government shall pursue an intensive and unrelenting campaign against the trafficking
and use of dangerous drugs and other similar substances through an integrated system of planning,
implementation, and enforcement of anti-drug abuse policies, programs, and projects. The government shall
however aim to achieve a balance in the national drug control program so that people with legitimate medical
needs are not prevented from being treated with adequate amounts of appropriate medications, which
include the use of dangerous drugs.
• It is further declared the policy of the State to provide effective mechanisms or measures to re-integrate into
society individuals who have fallen victims to drug abuse or dangerous drug dependence through sustainable
programs of treatment and rehabilitation.
The Anti-Illegal Drug Campaign of the Philippines
PNP OPLAN – DOUBLE BARREL PROJECT TOKHANG
• As an action for our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in his fight against illegal drugs and other forms of
criminality in the country. PNP OPLAN – DOUBLE BARREL PROJECT TOKHANG was first implemented
in Davao City where President Rodrigo Duterte served as mayor for several years. With that program Davao
City ranked number 4th safest city in the whole world. And now it is implemented all over the Philippines
along with his PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
• “Oplan Tokhang” is a visayan word which means “Tok-tok Hangyo”. Where police personnel knock the doors
of an alleged drug user or pusher, asking him/her that he/she will surrender to the police in order that they
will be monitored for further assessment.
• The police also visited 6,097,672 houses as part of its “Project Tokhang” and the police reported too that
1,020,244 people surrendered to authorities in the past six (6) months. More than 940,000 of those who
surrendered are drug users while about 75,000 are pushers.
AIDE MEMOIRE
The Philippine Government circulated on 9 September 2016 an Aide Memoire on the Philippines’ anti-illegal
drug campaign. The said Aide Memoire:
1. Put in context the Philippine campaign against illegal drugs as a part of President Rodrigo Duterte’s approach
to human development and governance, and as a response to the pandemic nature of the drug problem and
its co-relation with criminality;
2. Emphasized public support for the President and the anti-illegal drug campaign;
3. Affirmed the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and due process;
4. Underscored that the campaign against illegal drugs is not discriminatory;
5. Pointed out mechanisms that ensure that law enforcement officers respect human rights and observe rule of
law and due process;
6. Emphasized that on the issue of killings, the government does not sanction “vigilante” killings committed
outside legitimate operations and these together with killings perpetrated by drug syndicates are being
investigated and prosecuted;
7. Reported that the government is strengthening its integrated comprehensive drug rehabilitation program for
the drug users who voluntarily surrendered; and
8. Called on all states and international organizations and agencies to support the Philippine campaign against
illegal drugs.
The priority of the Duterte administration with respect to the reduction of all forms of crimes, including
manufacture, sale, and distribution of illegal drugs, is being supported by a holistic program that seeks to combat
not only crimes but also the corruption that perpetuates the crimes.
The approach is comprehensive, covering information and education campaigns, community organizations and
mobilization, and police-community partnerships to ensure public order and safety.

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1. The right to life of every Filipino and their right to a society conducive for development have been
eroded by widespread drug abuse.
The drug problem has been strongly co-related to criminality in the country. Serious crimes that include
rape with homicide, murder, kidnapping, armed assault, robbery and so on have been perpetuated by
people and groups under the influence of illegal drugs, and have posed serious threats to communities
across the Philippines.
2. The State affirms its sole obligation to protect its people by addressing the drug problem through
a holistic institutionalized approach
• Drug Supply Reduction – covers law enforcement, regulatory compliance, judicial and legislative
measures and sectoral capacity-building programs.
• Drug Demand Reduction – covers policy formulation, preventive education programs, treatment and
rehabilitation and research.
• Alternative Development – seeks the reduction of production of marijuana and eliminates its
cultivation through sustainable rural developments and alternative livelihood programs.
• Civic Awareness and Response – conventional and social media, and socio-civic partnerships are
mobilized in the campaign against illegal drugs.
• Regional and International Cooperation – actively seeks regional and international cooperation in its
active campaign on drug abuse prevention and control.
3. The State recognizes the drug problem as a health issue and promotes and protects the drug users'
right to health
• Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation is subsumed under the drug demand reduction pillar wherein drug
dependents are treated, rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society.
• To address the number of drug users and pushers seeking drug treatment and rehabilitation, the
President ordered the establishment and support of drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers
under Executive Order No. 4.
WHO Technical Assistance
• The Department of Health (DOH) developed the algorithm on community-based rehabilitation program in
2016 with the technical assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO).
• Since September 2016, WHO has been providing the following technical assistance to the Philippines in
the area of clinical drug treatment, in collaboration with the European Union (EU):
 review of national approach to treatment scale-up
 identifying best practices to inform the national treatment program
 supporting the development of national standards, tools and guidelines for rehabilitation and care
programs for drug users
 supporting the creation of complementary treatment structures, particularly voluntary half-way houses
and drug dependence clinics
The State has opened the AID campaign for more active engagement by all groups and sectors in
Philippine society.
• The State has opened the anti-illegal drug campaign to a more active engagement and participation by all
groups and sectors in Philippine society.
• The government has set in place frameworks and mechanisms that engage individuals, the entire
government from the barangays (villages), municipal and provincial governments at the local level to the
national level and partners across all sectors of the society in the campaign against illegal drugs.
• The private sector has responded positively and has expressed willingness to donate funds for the
construction of more rehabilitation centers to accommodate Filipinos who surrendered voluntarily and who
need residential treatment.
Lower Crime Rates Nationwide
• Cases of robbery, theft, car napping, motorcycle theft, rape, and physical injury in Metro Manila from July
to December 2016 are dramatically lower than the number registered from January to June 2016. The
weekly average crime rate on crimes against property went down by 30.56%, from 301 to 209.
• For January-November 2016, index crime rate in the Philippines declined by 31.67% compared to the same
period in 2015.

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The Anti-Drug Campaign in the Philippines

July 1, 2016 - January 17, 2018

Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

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Source: http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-%20Realnumbersph

REFERENCES:

#REALNUMBERSPH. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://pdea.gov.ph/2-uncategorised/279-Realnumbersph

Fact sheet no. 1 on the anti-illegal drug campaign of the Philippines. (2017, March 28). Retrieved from http://genevapm.dfa.gov.ph/ph-
campaign-against-illegal-drugs/451-fact-sheet-no-1-on-ph-anti-illegal-drugs-campaign-28-march-2017

Palatino, M. (2017, January 9). Duterte's "War on Drugs" in the Philippines: By the numbers. Retrieved from
https://thediplomat.com/2017/01/dutertes-war-on-drugs-in-the-philippines-by-the-numbers/

Philippine National Police. Municipal Government of Calamba, Misamis Occidental. (n.d.). PNP Oplan- Double Barrel Project Tokhang.
Retrieved from http://www.calambamisocc.gov.ph/index.php/60-capital-outlay/411-pnp-oplan-tokhang.

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