Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jul 2016 Source: Philippine Star (Philippines) Copyright: PhilSTAR Daily Inc. 2016 Contact: http://www.philstar.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/622 SECOND CHANCE They were the ones who didn't end up dead. Last Sunday, 75 drug users who turned themselves in to the Philippine National Police began dancing away their vice, swaying their hips at a zumba class. The aerobic fitness session, held in a covered court in Mandaluyong, is part of a six-month detoxification program provided by the city government alongside livelihood training for drug abusers who want to kick the habit and are willing to undergo a lifestyle change. Rehabilitation can be costly especially for those who have developed a serious addiction to illegal drugs. The nation has limited facilities, whether privately owned or state-run, to wean drug dependents from their habit. Investing in rehabilitation, however, is still better than killing drug dependents. The favorite story of cops - - that drug suspects were killed because they tried, even while handcuffed, to grab their police escort's gun - stretches credulity and insults the intelligence of the public. For sure there are genuinely hardened, notorious drug traffickers who have committed murder, corrupted public officials and ruined lives. They are unapologetic about their life of crime, and several continue to run their lucrative drug operations even while held at the supposedly maximum security compound at the New Bilibid Prisons. Confronting these threats may require drastic measures. But a number of those killed since May 10 appeared to be minor pushers or mere drug users, whose common denominator was their poverty. Drug abuse is a complex social problem that calls for a multipronged approach, with tough law enforcement complemented by aggressive efforts to fight poverty and provide legitimate livelihood opportunities. President Duterte's landslide victory indicates public support for his campaign promise of dealing harshly with criminals, particularly drug traffickers. But because lives can be lost and there's a strong possibility of abuse and fatal mistakes, this kind of campaign requires restraint in its implementation. Life is precious. As the nation is seeing in mass media, those who have been killed in recent weeks left behind bereaved families - weeping parents, spouses and children, professing the innocence of the dead or bewailing that the punishment did not fit the crime. While the President and other people may think drug dealers deserve to die, there are also many drug suspects who deserve a second chance. Mandaluyong has the right idea. Rehabilitation can start from something as innocuous and fun as zumba. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom