Pubdate: Mon, 07 Mar 2005
Source: Daily Tribune, The (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 The Tribune Publishing Co., Inc.
Contact:  http://www.tribune.net.ph/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2973
Author: Source: Dinah S. Ventura
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?236 (Corruption - Outside U.S.)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines

CRACKDOWN

Addiction to shabu and other illegal substances has caused the breakup
of families and marriages as well as the breakdown of values among the
youth.

A forum that this paper's Life section conducted many months ago
tackled the subject of drug addiction, and we discovered that, flawed
relationships and weak character traits aside, one of the main reasons
some people get into the habit is the sheer availability of the drugs.

It's true. In Tanauan, Batangas, for instance, drug dealing has been
something like a "cottage industry," according to a report. And many
news stories have shown that our schools and universities in Metro
Manila aren't safe from the tentacles of this deadly trade. Recently,
the country has gained another lamentable "distinction" - as one of
the biggest producers of that crystal menace in Asia. Considering that
we have also figured among the most corrupt nations in the world, as
well as one of the countries with the lowest aptitude in math and
science, this new blemish in our reputation is enough to make one
literally want to change his skin.

While this administration has beefed up its anti-drug efforts,
resulting in a few significant raids over the last couple of years or
so, the drug industry has continued to flourish for a number of reasons.

First, law enforcement in this country has many weaknesses that many
foreign nationals are able to set up shop under the authorities' very
noses. If you notice, the few successful drug busts - in Paranaque,
Batangas, Cavite, Davao - have glaringly revealed that big drug
syndicates from other countries find the Philippines a real haven for
their lucrative business, since government is hardly able to make a
dent in their operations. An August 2003 Newsbreak article, to
illustrate, revealed that "of the P227 billion worth of illegal
substances that circulated in the country last year (about 115,416
kilograms of shabu if 500 kilograms have a street value of 1.2 billion
pesos, as estimated by the police), law enforcers seized only 5.3
million pesos' worth, or a measly 1.9 percent of the dangerous drugs."

The writer of that article emphasized the significance of tapping all
sectors of society to solve the problem and I couldn't agree more.
Government, Miriam Grace Go said, can concentrate on law enforcement,
but at the same time, it should not stop seeking the cooperation of
these "people on the ground" - which include families, schools,
employers, communities and local governments. In other words, this is
one gargantuan problem that will require our full, united power as a
people to combat.

The problem is, there are people in the government as well as
scalawags in uniform whose links to the illegal trade make it really
easy for the big fish to slip away whenever anti-drug agents draw
near. This is problem number two that is slowing down efforts to meet
Mrs. Arroyo's deadline of a drug-free Philippines in 2010.

The illegal drugs industry in the country is worth over P270 billion,
and this government has tasked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency,
with the Philippine National Police, to break it to the core. In spite
of the usual problems like insufficient resources and manpower, we are
hoping against hope that this drug-busting team can really meet the
President's enormous expectations.

The third problem is that demand for these illegal substances
continues to rise. And because "the number of drug addicts has been
increasing at an average of 112,700 a year since 1972," drug dealers
are also increasing their tribe as there is always money to be made in
this illicit business. After marijuana in the 1970s to the 1980s,
shabu, or methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as "ice" and
"crack," became the drug of choice in the 1990s and syndicates have
been making huge profits from manufacturing and trafficking this
synthetic drug.

The biggest twist is, these syndicates have all the money to buy their
way out of a mess, because the government that is trying to zap them
to oblivion could well be made responsible for causing the drug users
run for the next hit, just to escape the sad realities of their lives.
So where should they start solving this problem? 
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