Economic, social programs to crush drug menace

THIS IS in reaction to the news item titled “VP laments lack of outcry vs drug killings” (Front Page, 8/5/16). It is true that the number (more than 800 to date) of suspected drug users and pushers killed has become alarming. But the “alarm” could be for different reasons. Some are alarmed because the number shows the magnitude of the drug problem in the country, while others are alarmed because those killed were just suspects deprived of their right to due process.

Vice President Leni Robredo should understand why there is a “lack of outrage.” A lot of families—their number continues to grow— have fallen prey to the drug menace. Moreover, drug-related crimes have increased and have increasingly been outrageously heinous. That is why a lot of people would rather see druggists dead than encounter them alive.

Even the Inquirer’s ala-Pieta photo of a woman embracing a fallen suspected drug pusher or user (Front Page, 7/24/16) did not provoke enough “outrage.” Its effectiveness cannot compare with the original Pieta, but not because of the artistry. The photo’s angle is perfect, the lighting dramatic, and the woman’s anguish real. It is more in the two works’ underlying meanings: In Michelangelo’s masterpiece the face of the mother is serene, even as she cradled a son who stood for love and justice, especially for the downtrodden.

Understandably, the argument now is “justice,” meaning, suspected drug users and pushers should be given due process. True, every citizen has the right to due process. But somehow, before President Duterte’s drive against drugs, “due process” was on slow-mode, that is why the drug problem has turned into a terrifying, rampaging monster.

This does not mean that extrajudicial killings should continue in the name of the war on drugs. Shooting down the biggest drug lords will not automatically bring about progress.

Economic and social programs should be implemented as fervently as the drive against drugs so our people can become productive. Land reform with the necessary technical and financial support should be fast-tracked.

Industrialization that supports propeople rural and urban development should be prioritized. Subsidies for education and health should be increased.

Hand in hand with all these, a relevant cultural program should be propagated—one that will instill in the general public (especially public servants) the love of country and concern for the community.

—JULIE L. PO, Linangan ng Kulturang Pilipino, [email protected]