Public enemy number one

In the United States, the term war on drugs refers to United States government’s campaign of prohibition of drugs, military aid, and military intervention with the aim to reduce the illegal drug trade.

In the Philippines, war on drugs refers to the policy against the illegal drug trade initiated by the government under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Both countries suffer from a number of deaths resulting from police operations and alleged summary killings.

There was a time in the history of the United States that drug abuse was declared as “public enemy number one”. In our present time now, the government considers the drug abusers, the drug addicts, or the drug peddlers also known as drug pushers as the “public enemy number one”.

Therefore, the aim to eradicate illegal drug trade runs counter-flow between United States and the Philippines.

First, drug abuse is the public enemy number one in the United States. Drug abuse refers to the habitual taking of addictive or illegal drugs. The United States scoured countries like Panama, Honduras, Mexico, Columbia, etc., which the United States government believed to have trafficked illegal drugs to their country. The US government would spend billions and billions of dollars for their counter-narcotics operations in and out of their shores. This they do to eradicate drug abuse in their country which they consider to be their public enemy number one.

Second, drug addicts are people who are addicted to illegal drug while drug peddlers or drug pushers are persons who sell illegal drugs to other persons. These peddlers and addicts are the targets of Oplan Tokhang (Cebuano for tuktok “knock” and hangyo “persuade”). But this term tokhang has grown to become a synonym of EJK or extra-judicial killings. Accordingly, even drug users are targets also of this oplan tokhang. Drug users are not drug addicts, yet.

In his speech, President Duterte urged the public to kill suspected criminals and drug addicts. He even said that he would order police to adopt a shoot-to-kill policy for drug addicts or drug pushers and would offer policemen a bounty for the deaths of suspected drug addicts or pushers. This we do in our country because the drug addicts and drug pushers are our public enemy number one.

Finally, according to Philippine National Police or PNP and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency or PDEA since the start of war on drugs there have been more than 1.2 million drug addicts and drug users and 89,000 drug peddlers or drug pushers who have surrendered to the police. This would mean a decrease in the operation of illegal drug market and a drop in the index crimes in the country. Likewise, there have been over 7000 deaths resulting from police operations in both legitimate police operations and vigilante-style or unexplained killings.

Both the United States of America and Republic of the Philippines have declared war on drugs but they have different means in eradicating their public enemy number one.