More than 1 million drug users, pushers have surrendered, says Palace

CONFESSED drug users and pushers gather in Pampanga province during a recent mass surrender ceremony in the government’s antidrug campaign. TONETTE OREJAS / Inquirer Central Luzon

More than one million drug users and drug peddlers have already surrendered or personally appeared before authorities, according to Malacanang, which touted the strides made in the war against drugs as among the accomplishments of the first six months of the Duterte administration.

The palace listed the achievements of the various departments in the first six months of President Duterte’s rule in a report released Friday.

Based on figures from the Department of Interior and Local Government, a total of 1,003,118 people linked to drugs surrendered or showed up before authorities from July 1 to December 30.

Of the figures, 92.54 percent were drug users, and the rest were drug pushers.

The police have also arrested 42,978 drug pushers and users.

Another 2,166 drug personalities were “neutralized” in police operations, according to the DILG.

The figure does not include the more than 3,000 drug suspects slain in extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings, which the President and authorities said were not state-sponsored.

The death toll in the administration’s crackdown on the narcotics trade has drawn concern and criticism from human rights groups and international organizations, whicj worry about the apparent lack of due process and impunity.

Mr. Duterte has lashed out at critics of his drug war, accusing them of trivializing the problem faced by the Philippines.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar described Mr. Duterte’s drug war as “unprecedented.”

Andanar said the public has seen “drastic changes in governance” since Mr. Duterte took over, and that he had hit the ground running in his first six months of office. People could expect much more in the coming year, he said.

“After all, the President’s heart is in the right place, and he has only the interests of the Filipino people and the nation in his mind first and foremost,” he said. TVJ