Drug Problem

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

Bitter-Logical-Solution

During Martial Law years, six Chinese nationals were caught for drug trafficking and were sentenced to death by firing squad. Army Major Camilo Montessa of the Judge Advocate General Office (JAGO) handed down the verdict.

But a top government official interceded in behalf of the five other convicts. They were eventually spared and only a certain Lim Seng suffered the death penalty by a firing squad. On why, the five others were exonerated, we have yet to know.

Few have the faintest idea that such intrusion by a government official in the case of the five convicts contributed a lot in shaping-up Narco-politics in this country. It is widely believe too, that it finally opened the floodgates for illegal drugs to become a national crisis

From 1970 down to the late 90s, illegal drugs proliferation ran parallel with corruption. Several years ago at Sariaya, Quezon, seven Chinese nationals who cannot speak or understand other languages have been caught loading tons of “shabu” in two vans.

Yet, two months after their arrest, a Cebuano judge is still pondering whether to grant bail or not. An eventual casualty was a Police Director General from Capiz, who was relieved from his post due to intercession for the release of these Chinese.

During the time of Pres. Joseph Estrada, another police, Gen. Dictador Alqueza, has seated as the national director of the Narcotics Command (NARCOM) for only a-week. His name was also linked to illegal drugs and was immediately relieved.

Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto was also once linked to illegal drugs which he vehemently denied. But a favorite adage of the old folks which says, “if there is smoke, there is fire,” nearly destroyed his political career.

Another national casualty was P/Supt. John Campos, killed while on his way home few years back. His death is said to be a drug-related killing. In Region 6, the death of Frederick Capasao, an anti-illegal drug agent and police officer Lamis, has transfigured that of Supt. Campos case - unsolved to date.

Due to corruptibility of our public officials, drug money has penetrated the inner circle of the government. It buys judges, prosecutors, police, military, politicians, local government officials, lawyers, courts clerk, witnesses and many others.

Before the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a civilian anti-drug agency of the government, we often heard of police fighting each other as if fighting criminals on the street because of drug money.

Drug-money commands the protectors of illegal drugs like robots. It can dictate the tempo of elections and can drive addicts to kill-for-nothing. A widening disparity of the rich and the poor has fueled this mess and must be addressed by the government to curb drug proliferation.

In slum areas, the survival of the predominantly unemployed residents depends solely on part time jobs or employment without security of tenure. Arrested drug pushers in this area have always replacements.

Apprehended pusher-husband has a wife as immediate replacement. Arrest the wife and the children follow. This good source of big and immediate income can challenge law enforcers who can only do less to stop it.

Drug lords can only be alarmed by the threat of authorities knowing the law enforcers can get nothing from them as they keep no evidence. Big-players are compelled only to lie-low, spend additional for security, but to stop them never!

To stop the proliferation of illegal drugs, we have to kill the system that nurtures it – corruption. Congress should now pass a law that penalizes government officials found guilty of corruption with a minimum of 20 years flat - no rebate!

Except for Congresswoman Janet Garin of the First District, who among our four congressmen bragging to have balls can make the first step in moving this logical solution forward?