SEN. VICENTE Sotto III warned on Tuesday that rave parties like the recent concert in Pasay City that turned fatal for five party goers have become an enabler for those involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Sotto also warned against a muscle painkiller that “could well be one of the drugs” used by the victims on that fateful night of May 21.
The senator known for his advocacy against illegal drugs issued the warning in a privilege speech at the Senate, saying he had five reasons to speak yesterday as he proceeded to name those who died after attending the rave party billed as the CloseUp Forever Summer concert.
He said Bianca Fontejon, Ken Migawa, Ariel Leal, Eric Anthony Miller and Lance Garcia “suffered unintended heartbeat acceleration and died” and because they were not victims of external violence, it was reasonable to say that their deaths were due to “internal bodily causes.”
The “usual suspects” were drug pushers and the ingestion of illegal drugs and substances, according to Sotto who said topping the list was methylenedioxymethamphethamine or MDMA, also known as ecstasy, E or X.
“Consider further the probability that party goers could have already been high on other banned substances, such as the substance that I will be discussing shortly, as they came to party, add alcohol and nonstop jumping for hours and you have right there a lethal mix—and boom! The party’s over for five youths,” he said.
Sotto also alerted the Food and Drugs Administration and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to what he said was a “newcomer in the list of suspected killer substances when inhaled or misused.”
According to him, WariaActiv, a muscle painkiller which can be purchased over-the-counter for P750 to P1,500, was being “promoted on the internet for people who go to rave parties and just want to be happy.”
Also known as laughing gas, there have been deaths attributed to its misuse, Sotto said as he urged concerned government agencies to scrutinize and test it “to determine the need for some protocol for its purchase.”
He underscored the need for education on illegal drugs, hand in hand with stern law enforcement and prosecution of illegal drug abusers to beat the drug menace.
“We wish success to the incoming administration for its anticipated war on illegal drugs,” Sotto said of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte who vowed to launch an all-out war on drugs as his top priority.