Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 4) – Five presidential aspirants presented their recommendations on how to solve the country’s problem with drugs and jail congestion.
During the KBP Presidential Forum held Friday, Sen. Manny Pacquiao reiterated his proposal of putting up a “mega prison” to accommodate more inmates, especially those convicted of corruption.
“Kailangan po natin ng karagdagang facilities para po sa kanilang tulugan,” he said. “At yan po ang gagawin natin, yung mega prison lalo na sa mga nagnanakaw dyan sa gobyerno.”
[Translation: We need to add more facilities so inmates will have more room to sleep in. That’s what we’ll do, put up a mega prison, especially for thieves in the government.]
Citing government data, Vice President Leni Robredo suggested amending the Dangerous Drugs Law to benefit the 144,000-population in Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facilities.
Of this number, 70% are reportedly drug cases, but she noted that congestion rate in facilities is already at 582%.
“Kailangan nating i-amend yung ating Dangerous Drugs Law para ayusin natin na meron na siyang delineation ano bang gagawin kung ikaw ay drug user, ano ba ang gagawin kung ikaw ba ay drug dependent? Ano ba ang gagawin kung ikaw ay drug pusher?” Robredo said, noting that different penalties must be prescribed according to their corresponding level of violation.
[Translation: We need to amend the Dangerous Drugs Law so there would be a delineation on what to do if you are a drug user, a drug dependent, or a drug pusher.]
Labor leader Leody de Guzman said he will address the problem with a health approach instead of allowing the alleged extrajudicial killings under the current administration. He also vowed to ensure drug lords and financiers are arrested, and drug users undergo rehabilitation.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, on the other hand, said he will “go to the roots of the problem” by cutting the source of drug supply in the country.
“If there is no supply, and if there will be no available drugs in our country, naturally, all these things, itong mga problemang nabanggit ng aking mga kapwa na kandidato na valid naman, mawawala yan, magkakaroon ng natural death (these problems mentioned by our fellow aspirants are valid, but these problems will be gone, they will die a natural death),” he said.
Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson shared a similar sentiment. He also pushed for a more comprehensive and holistic approach, instead of just focusing on law enforcement. He added facilities must be regionalized so inmates can easily be visited by their families.
The International Criminal Court is currently investigating the Philippines after finding evidence of “crimes against humanity” in the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. It said 12,000 to 30,000 civilians were killed in the drug war between 2016 and 2019. However, government data showed only 6,191 suspects have died in over 200,000 anti-illegal drug operations as of August 2021.
