Winning

President Duterte’s political will to curb the drug problem of Philippine society is something Filipinos have never seen in previous administrations. Thus, no one can dispute that this campaign has a better chance at success.

Ever since Mr. Duterte assumed the presidency a year ago, he has been waging a war against drugs — a campaign that has become the centerpiece of his administration and that he hopes to someday leave as a legacy for which he will be remembered. This war, in order to make a dent and solicit public support, must not only conquer but likewise be publicly perceived to be a winnable fight. The President is taking an unorthodox stance. To clean up the problem in illegal drugs, he does not mind getting his hands dirty.

Mr. Duterte is the epitome of a strong leader. The means that he employs to curb the drug menace in the country, despite strong objections from local and international organizations and human rights groups, reflect political will. In fact, it is arguably the first time that Filipinos are seeing a president seriously fighting to eradicate the drug problem.

To some extent, this war has better chances of winning than any government campaign in the past. First, by putting himself at the forefront of the fight, the President has committed the entire resources of the government focused in one direction, thereby making efforts relentless, efficient, and well-coordinated. Second, the fact that he publicly declared and continues to publicly declare that he assumes full responsibility for the war on drugs, and that he is willing to be jailed for it instead of his men who are just following orders, is an assurance that boosts the morale of the Philippine National Police and encourages them to take strong (some detractors call it brutal) actions against those who trade in illegal drugs.

As of January, the PNP says, 1,020,244 people have surrendered to authorities. Of these, more than 940,000 are drug users while about 75,000 are pushers. Also, 4,049 suspected drug personalities were victims of vigilante-style killings.

The PNP has long suffered from a negative reputation. But at one point, the campaign against illegal drugs, with the police as enforcers, became so popular among the citizenry in general that the PNP somehow gained public confidence. Suddenly the police are seen as the good guys, who protect and serve to maintain peace and order and make our community a safer place.

Interestingly, in an interview with Rappler, a drug user who also pushes cocaine, ecstasy, Valium and marijuana said of the temporary suspension of the war on drugs last January: “Everyone laid low. But a month or two after, all the tablets and capsules were back out. It became especially lax when the drug war stopped.”

According to the Social Weather Station, most Filipinos are satisfied with the government’s war on drugs, as expressed by a staggering 78 percent of those surveyed. Combine this with the statistics given by the PNP in January and the positive PNP image that the war has created, and it should be fair to say that the Duterte administration is winning its war on drugs.

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Athenna Ordoña, 22, is a junior account manager at Green Bulb PR and a communication arts graduate of Miriam College.