Drug use pandemic among rich, powerful

If wanton killing of drug pushers and users, suspected or otherwise, along with their innocent companions, is the way for us to solve the country’s festering drug menace, and if indeed “justice” is fair, a great percentage of our population which goes by the millions would have to be summarily slaughtered. What we are currently witnessing is neither justice nor solution, but governmental enigma and societal anopia, if not pure national hysteria (or madness).

Why the heartlessness of exacting massive collateral damage on our people? Why the need for sacrificial lambs? Is life this too cheap for Filipinos today? Why curtail due process? The number of casualties or victims seems to rise by the hour. They are humans, sinners just like all of us that need forgiveness and salvation, and for whom Christ Jesus died. If the rotten judicial system is the obstruction that we complain about in bringing the culprits to justice, then, by all means, why not attack the system instead of resorting to the rottenness of our very own hearts?

While President Duterte is unpretentious, flat-out direct and vocal about his intentions and ways in addressing the drug problem, alack, double-talk seems to be the order of the day for his cherubs and seraphs. What is there to sugarcoat when everything is laid bare and open under 12 noon sunrays? What else is lacking to substantiate a recrimination of an already glaring coup?

Drug pushing is rampant all over the country, but why is it that some “concerned” quarters appear perturbed in reporting that certain few biggies in the so-called high places are into drugs as though the malaise is a rare thing to them? In fact, illegal drug is more pandemic among the rich, famous and powerful.

The poor do drugs for lack of food, shelter, education, enlightenment and opportunity. The affluent do it for sheer insolence, worldliness, revelry, craze, avarice, lust and overindulgence; and, oh, they savor it with impunity while wreaking havoc on their lives and those of others, their families and the whole country.

Repent!

—RENI M. VALENZUELA, renimvalenzuela@yahoo.com