BILANG PILIPINO | Gonzales calls Duterte’s drug war ‘monumental tragedy’ for heavy-handed approach

February 18, 2022 , 01:10 PM

By Beatrice Puente

(February 18, 2022) – It was a “monumental tragedy” on the part of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for not rehabilitating drug users who turned themselves in at the height of the brutal drug war, said presidential candidate Norberto Gonzales on Wednesday.

Gonzales, the standard-bearer of Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas in the 2022 elections, slammed the killings under the bloody policy. He said the country had the chance to help those who surrendered but the government fell short in providing the necessary support for them.

“That is a phenomenon that may not be repeated again. That is probably the kind of opportunity that we could have addressed really the drug problem, but what did we do to those who surrendered? Some of them pinatay pa rin,” said Gonzales on One News’ The Chiefs.

Duterte boldly declared that he would eradicate the country’s drug problem within three to six months. But his ambitious goal did not pan out, with authorities still struggling to address the issue with less than four months left in his term.

More than 6,000 people have died under the reckless drug war, based on the count of the Philippine National Police. But human rights groups said the actual count could be well around 30,000 if vigilante killings are considered.

If elected as president, Gonzales said he won’t allow drug-related killings to continue as he described it as “a horrible approach.” He echoed the position of other presidential candidates who want to focus on rehabilitation and a more holistic method.

“We will not be killing people,” said Gonzales. “It’s a monumental tragedy. Imagine the opportunity we had. Not so many countries have experienced that the drug users surfaced and asked for help, yet we did not respond.”

In 2021, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) touted that almost half of the 1.2 million drug users who surrendered “are now living a normal life” after going through rehabilitation. The DILG also claimed that close to 22,000 barangays have been cleared of drugs.

Duterte, who’s known for his tough-talking rhetoric, may face the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the crimes related to his merciless drug war. ICC prosecutor Karim Khan paused the probe in November after the Philippines sent a deferral request.

Khan has yet to issue an update on the review.

Gonzales, a former secretary of the Department of National Defense, agreed that there’s a basis for the ICC investigation, saying he would allow the representatives of the tribunal to come to the country. He added that it’s “shameful” that the Philippines is being investigated since it shows the weakness of the legal system.

He also said he would back the country’s return to the ICC along with other efforts to “redeem the trust of the world.”

“What a mess that we withdrew not because we have some fundamental objections to it. It’s because somebody wants to save himself,” said Gonzales.

(PM)

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