A Position Paper on War on Drugs

The best thing that can ruin your life is drug use. This is both our government's most

challenging issue and the biggest issue facing our country. "Say No to Drugs" means avoiding

them because they can affect your life, the lives of others, and the community you are a part of.

War on drugs campaign by Duterte’s Administration is a good plan and an active campaign by

the former president. Former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte's war on drugs campaign was very

effective because it is the only way to stop drug addiction and stop the production of illegal

drugs. Although this campaign has prevented the spread of drugs throughout the country, it has

been marred by extrajudicial killings blamed on the police and unidentified perpetrators.

Thousands of people in the Philippines have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte

launched his "war on drugs" on June 30, 2016, the day he took office. Among the dead were

dozens of children under the age of 18 who were specifically targeted or accidentally shot during

drug raids, which authorities called "collateral damage." Philippine children's rights

nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) put the total number of child casualties at 101 from July

2016 to December 2018, both targeted and killed as bystanders.

More child deaths were reported in the media in 2019 and 2020. The disastrous

consequences for children of Duterte's anti-drug campaign go beyond the violence of the raids.

Many suffer psychological distress after witnessing the killing of a loved one. Some children

have to leave their homes and communities, either hide or relocate because they and their family

members fear for their lives.

This means that the Duterte campaign's war on drugs is bad? What Duterte ordered is

really necessary to carry out the mission to kill drug addicts who want to fight the Police during

Oplan Tokhang. This does not constitute a Human Rights violation because the police properly

have an arrest warrant and carefully tell the drug addicts to surrender.
 This "War on Drugs" campaign has a huge impact because it helps create a drug-free

environment. We can look forward to this drug-free place when everyone works together to fight

drugs. Let's not get affected by illegal drugs because it will destroy our lives, it's better to

socialize with other people than to do drugs. This campaign will decrease drug-related crime

since it will reduce the number of drug users in our nation. Because of this, the number of drug

addicts is decreased because once they make a change and are sorry for what they did, they will

no longer be tempted to use illegal drugs. They no longer have to rob to buy this addictive drug.

The Oplan Tokhang that provides drug users a second chance to have a better life and start a new

life, Oplan Tokhang, involves the police visiting the homes of individuals suspected of being

involved in the illegal drug trade or as drug users. This is to encourage them to stop their

activities and submit themselves to the authorities for potential rehabilitation. In rehabilitation,

this is where they will change, and this is also where they will learn how to value themselves.

Even though many Filipinos do not like the War on Drugs campaign, there are still more

Filipinos who agree and support this campaign, myself included. It has a great chance to change

the country. This reduces drug-related crimes. The great real evidence is that there have been

thousands of surrenders of drug addicts due to Duterte's campaign. Making the country and every

barangay and community drug-free The government should improve the police force during

Oplan Tokhang to easily resolve drug addiction and help those who have given up start a new

life. This campaign must be maintained to eliminate illegal drugs completely. Say no to drugs.
References:
“Our Happy Family Is Gone”: Impact of the “War on Drugs” on Children in the Philippines | HRW
https://economicstudents.com/2018/05/oplan-tokhang-philippines-war-drugs/