Bato dela Rosa wants tougher laws on illegal drugs

Former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. (File photo by GABRIEL PABICO LALU / INQUIRER.net)

Senatorial candidate Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), wants stricter laws on drug offenses, but two opposition bets oppose the way the administration’s war on drugs are being implemented.

During a forum staged by CNN Philippines on Sunday, Dela Rosa, and opposition senatorial candidates Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno were asked on how they would solve the country’s drug problem.

Dela Rosa reiterated his aim of getting the death penalty reimposed on on drug traffickers.

“From my experience as director general nung the Bureau of Corrections, kausap ko yung mga Chinese, Taiwanese, Hongkong nationals na mga convicted drug lords sa loob ng Bilibid and I asked them: ‘Why do you insist on trafficking drugs to the Philippines?’ And sagot nila palagi: ‘Your laws here in the Philippines are too easy. You don’t have death penalty for drug offenses’,” Dela Rosa said.

He also noted that reimposing death penalty would prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country.

“Let’s try. I-reimpose natin itong death penalty, tignan natin,” he said.“Barilin natin sa Luneta itong isa, dalawa, tatlo, apat na mga drug lord. Tignan natin kung, magsipaghakot pa sila ng drugs dito sa Pilipinas.”

“Kaya tayo binabaha ng shabu dahil sa ibang bansa dahil nga very easy yung ating batas, wala tayong death penalty,” he added.

Alejano said, however, that though he too would want the illegal drug problems to end, he opposed the current implementation of the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.

“Kung nilulutas natin and isang gulo at gulo din ating sagot katulad ng patayan, libu-libong patayan, ang resulta ho nito, ang kakalabasan ay gulo din,” Alejano said.

“Alam niyo sa polisiya ngayon, kung saan marinig natin, sa administrasyon na patayin, patayin, patayin. Alam niyo this is prone to abuse. Nakikita na natin napakaraming ehemplo diyan na naaabuso ito ng ating awtoridad,” he added.

The former marine argued that the war on drugs put the public at risk. What instead should be addressed are issues on poverty and reforming the country’s criminal justice system.

“Ngayon po ang isyu dito ay about security ng kada Pilipino, if in the process of implementing the war on drugs, it destroys democratic institutions, it destroys democratic processes,” he said.

“In the long run, lahat tayo mabibiktima kahit hindi ka involved sa droga. In the long run, lahat tayo, walang safe,” Alejano said.

Fellow opposition candidate Diokno also called for a reform to the country’s justice system.

“Ang problema sa war on drugs, mas malala pa yung gamot sa sakit, diba? Wala namang shortcut ang hustisya, wala namang shortcut namang shortcut sa paglalaban natin sa krimen at korapsyon,” Diokno said.

“Ano ba talaga ang problema? Bakit laganap yang krimen at korapsyon na yan? Dahil baluktot at mahina ang ating sistema ng hustisya, kung gusto natin ng mas tama at pangmatagalan na solusyon sa isyu ng krimen, droga korapsyon, walang iba kundi ayusin natin yang baluktot na sistema ng hustisya,” he added. /atm