Tolentino opposes UN call to end global ‘war on drugs’
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 27) — Senator Francis Tolentino is opposing the United Nation’s call to end the global “war on drugs”, saying it will not result in the eradication of the drug menace.
Tolentino issued the statement on Monday after experts from the United Nations Human Rights Office urged the international community to “replace punishment with support, and promote policies that respect, protect and fulfill the rights of all.”
The international body added that the drug war’s impact has been greatest on those who live in poverty.
But according to Tolentino, the UN experts should “respect the sovereignty of each country as it deals with its internal situations.”
“Poverty will not end by scrapping the war on drugs, albeit it will increase criminality and impinge on the future of the youth. The recommendation will not result in the eradication of the drug menace,” he added.
Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, also said the experts should recognize each country’s way of addressing local problems with solutions that are “consistent with its domestic laws and applicable Universal Declaration of Human Rights Principles.”
Tolentino has been a staunch critic of international organizations’ stance against the war on drugs.
READ: Sen. Tolentino is representing ‘Bato’ in ICC’s drug war probe
The UN’s statement was released ahead of the 2023 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed annually on June 26.
