DDB gives positive spin to anti-narc drive: ‘Love life, fight drugs’

Dangerous Drugs Board Chief Dionisio Santiago. NOY MORCOSO / INQUIRER.net

Amid criticisms hounding the Duterte administration for supposedly violating human rights in its drug war, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB)’s program emphasizes the value of life in the government’s fight against illegal narcotics.

The DDB titled its anti-drug campaign “Love life, fight drugs” as its leadership stressed that “the fight against drugs is about protecting the life of the people.”

“Ipapakita namin na itong laban sa droga, maraming approaches na mas effective. Ang gagawin namin preventive papasukan namin ng livelihood, education, etc.,” DDB chairman Dionisio Santiago said in a press conference on Monday.

Santiago said they had presented the blueprint of the DDB’s campaign to Malacañang and is already in the office of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Santiago, who is also the former head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), said the campaign will revitalize and expand the roles of government agencies to help with the nationwide drug drive.

Aside from supply reduction efforts, Santiago said the DDB also wants to focus on drug demand reduction programs, including preventive education, advocacy and civic awareness programs that will prevent people from using and abusing drugs.

The drugs board, which said that drugs in the Philippines have a lifetime prevalence of about P4.8-million drug users, is set to initiate coordination and collaboration with international and anti-drug counterparts and other foreign institutions.

The DDB hopes to officially launch the campaign in November, dubbed the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control month.