Rody justifies drug war: Massacre shows evils of shabu

DAVAO CITY , Philippines  – President Duterte justified anew yesterday the administration’s deadly war against illegal drugs to eliminate drug-crazed criminals, citing the killings of two women and three children by a self-confessed drug user in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan last Tuesday.

Duterte again slammed the Commission on Human Rights and human rights lawyers for turning a blind eye on the innocent victims of drug addicts.

“Most of the time, these human rights (advocates) defend criminals. They do not have clients, except criminals,” Duterte said.

“You never hear the (Commission on) Human Rights or the human rights lawyers offer even just an expression of sympathy and condemnation. Wala (none),” Duterte said during the 50th anniversary celebration of Davao del Norte as a province held in Barangay Mankilam, Tagum City yesterday.

“And these idiots just turn a blind eye. Ay walang pakialam ang mga g*** (these idiots don’t care), “ said the President.

The President cited in particular the case of the family of five, including the grandmother, the mother and three children, who were all stabbed multiple times by drug addicts in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

“Why would we allow you to destroy our country like that? Pati ‘yung droga. Tingnan mo naman kung pumatay (Look how they killed). And you know that everyday, as there is an addict that is killed, there is also an innocent person who is held up,” Duterte said.

The President likewise chided the European Union that suggested he put up clinics like in the Netherlands and in Vancouver, Canada where addicts could get shabu, cocaine, heroin and other drugs for free.

“But if you have been to the Netherlands recently, or in Vancouver, Canada… peaceful na, beautiful place. Now, it’s dirty. Now, it’s almost… there is a mugging, patay. Why? Because ilatag nila ang mga libre. Na ‘yung mga (they give them for free in the) clinic ito. The problem is… it’s insatiable. They are imagining things, hallucination,” he added.

Death penalty

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is pushing for the restoration of the death penalty following the killing of two women and three children in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan by suspects who are believed to have been high on illegal drugs.

PDEA director general Isidro Lapeña said yesterday the death penalty will be a strong deterrent against drug users who might commit heinous crimes.

He cited the case of Carmelino Ibañes, a 26-year-old construction worker who, together with at least two other people, killed five persons in Bulacan while under the influence of shabu and alcohol.

“The suspect admitted that he was high on drugs upon commission of the crime. Only drug-crazed persons can stab savagely his victims, including a helpless one-year-old child, multiple times and rape them after,” Lapeña said in a statement.

Lapeña stressed people like Ibañes should not only suffer reclusion perpetua but a more severe penalty, which is death.

“Harsher penalties must be dealt for people like Ibañes, manufacturers, smugglers, pushers and all the more coddlers and protectors of illegal drugs in the country, both foreign and domestic, who were proven guilty in court. They deserve nothing less than capital punishment,” he said.

Lapeña cited a Social Weather Station survey conducted from March 25 to 28 that showed six in 10 Filipinos or 60 percent are in favor of the restoration of the death penalty.

“This goes to show that despite strong opposition from various sectors, including religious groups, a great majority of our countrymen supports the move. I agree that drug use is a health issue but we should treat it as a criminal issue altogether,” he said.

But police said Ibañes, the man arrested for the killing in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, tested negative for illegal drug use.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director, said the drug test on Ibañes last Thursday showed a negative result.

Ibañes admitted he and two other people were drunk and high on illegal drugs when they attacked the five victims.

Aquino, quoting the explanation of the chemist, said it is possible Ibañes’ metabolism could be faster or he took small amounts of shabu, thus he tested negative after 24 hours.

“It’s possible the shabu he used was not that concentrated,” he said.

Despite the negative result, Aquino assured it will not affect the case against Ibañes.

“It doesn’t mean that if you tested negative, you are no longer a drug user,” Aquino said, noting that Ibañes himself admitted he is a regular user of shabu.

– With Emmanuel Tupas, Christina Mendez