Facts on Drug Use in the Philippines: Releasing some air of the inflated problem

President Rodrigo Duterte won the Philippine presidency in a campaign focused on suppressing illegal drugs and crimes in six months. Since he assumed office on July 1, there have been unabated cases of extra-judicial killings concurrent with the government's war on drugs. Based on the testimony of Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald de la Rosa, in almost two months in his office (as of August 15), there are 1,564 suspects who got killed . Of these, 665 suspects were killed in police operations, and 899 cases were possibly done by vigilante groups. These figures came out during the Senate's probe on extra-judicial killings.

Each day there have been 34 Filipinos suspected of drug use and dealing being killed since Duterte came to power. One of the victims is Jefferson Bunuan, a criminology student who wanted to become a policeman, was shot by the police while asleep. Another victim is Rowena Tiamson, a graduating honor student, was found dead with her hands tied and a cardboard sign near her lifeless body: Huwag tularan, pusher (Don't emulate, drug pusher).

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President Duterte has claimed that drugs are destroying his country. His war on drugs is his way of showing his love and commitment to his country.

We can ask then, to what extent drugs are destroying Duterte's country (our country too)? Let's look at the statistics and the 2016 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

In 2012, the Office of the President's Dangerous Drugs Board put the estimated numbers of drug users in the Philippines to 1.3 million. (In 2012, the Philippine population was 96.71 million; so the prevalence of drug use among the population was 1.3 percent). This figure is higher than the 600,000 drug users who "surrendered to authorities" since the launch of war on drugs.

Is this figure high enough to merit a war that is killing 34 people a day? Let's compare the Philippine data with other countries.

The Philippines is not ranked in the top 10 among the "most drug addicted countries in the world." Based on the 2012 UNDOC World Drug Report and Global Drug Survey, the top ten countries, from bottom to top, are Mexico with 3.9% prevalence, Brazil (4.3%), United States (6.2%), Canada (6.4%), Afghanistan (6.9%), Russia (7.1%), Slovakia (13.01%), France (13.02%), United Kingdom (13.65%), and the top, Iran (14.32%). With 1.3 % drug use prevalence among the population, the Philippines may not even be in top 30 countries with massive drug use.

In the latest World Drug Report (2016) by UNODC, the Philippines is mentioned seven (7 times). In those instances, the country is in no way worse than other countries. For example, in the map showing the trafficking flows of cocaine, the Philippines is not cited as the source or hub in the region. In the region, the report indicates that the often mentioned origin, departure, and transit of cocaine is Thailand, followed by Malaysia.

I recognize that drug use is a problem. But should this problem be solved by killing 34 Filipinos a day? Or are we creating a monstrous problem here?

As Filipinos, we can all be potential victims of these state-sanctioned killings in the name of war on drugs. Let the killings be stopped; let the rule of law be followed. Let humanity reign.