Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday proposed the decriminalization of drug consumption and said that the issue should be addressed via medical help instead of law enforcement measures, especially given that the country's jails are already overwhelmed with prisoners convicted of drug crimes
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th November, 2022) Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa on Thursday proposed the decriminalization of drug consumption and said that the issue should be addressed via medical help instead of law enforcement measures, especially given that the country's jails are already overwhelmed with prisoners convicted of drug crimes.
"In order to decongest the jails, I said let's decriminalize the use of illegal drugs because our rehabilitation centers are not yet fully occupied," dela Rosa told the GMA broadcaster. "It's only for the users. Drug pushing, manufacturing, trafficking is a different matter."
The official also said that drug addiction was "not more of a law enforcement problem but more of a health problem," as quoted by the broadcaster.
He added that the manufacturing, distribution and trafficking of drugs should be punishable by law.
The Philippines has experimented with controversial ways to address the problem of drug related-crime. During former President Rodrigo Duterte's tenure in 2016-2022, he favored a full-scale fight against drug addicts and those who distribute drugs. According to police, around 3,000 people linked to drugs were killed in the country during his time in office, while some died over the course of investigations into drug crimes. The international community has repeatedly condemned the methods of combating drug trafficking in use in the Philippines.
