On October 12— or 19 days after President Marcos Jr. assured his audience in New York that his drug campaign will be more humane and would focus on rehabilitation—five suspected drug personalities were killed during a law enforcement operation in Lambayong town, Sultan Kudarat.
At said operation, authorities seized 50 grams of suspected shabu (crystal methamphetamine) and high-powered firearms, said Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg, Police Regional Office 12 director.
Macaraeg identified the slain suspects as Adhen Salbo, Razul Luyugan Dalandang, Ivan Kilapan Macmod, Nasrudin Banto Abdilla and Sadam Mamadtud Abdul, all residents of Barangay (village) Pimbalayan, Lambayong town, about 15 kilometers south of here.
Since his New York state visit, Marcos left to the discretion of PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency how to handle the drug war more humanely. But the Sultan Kudarat incident would show that neither is the drug war humane nor focused on rehabilitation—but the culture of killing perpetrated by his predecessor, President Duterte.
Despite assurances by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla of a more humane drug war, the fact remains that nothing had changed and the culture of impunity continues.
Macaraeg said that at past 5 p.m. on Tueday, Lambayong police, backed by the Sultan Kudarat provincial police, Regional Special Operations Group, Regional Intelligence Unit, soldiers of the Army’s 14th Mechanized Company of 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, were about to serve a warrant to search the house occupied by Salbo and his brother Loy on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs.
The usual script-- Salbo’s companions opened fire as the government forces were approaching—triggered an armed exchange. Loy was able to flee, Macaraeg said adding that armed personnel exercised maximum tolerance.
After clearing the area, state forces searched Salbo’s house, in the presence of his common-law wife, Andod Mama, and barangay officials and seized a huge sachet containing 50 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P340,000, a 12-gauge shotgun, 2 caliber .45 pistols, a homemade caliber .45 machine pistol loaded with ammunition, a Colt M16 rifle, several rounds of ammunition, and magazines.
On August 11, then Press Secretary Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles said Marcos trusts that his chief of police will set policies on the problem will be handled. continue the country’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Marcos did not discuss his drug campaign at his first SONA but in New York, during his state visit.
The country’s drug war gained notoriety during President Duterte, which involved allegations of extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses—for which former Sen. Leila de Lima got jailed until now with Marcos having no decision on whether to free her or not, despite the attention of local and international groups, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Marcos is also not rejoining the ICC ahead of its investigation on the Duterte drug war.
PDEA data showed that as of May 31, 2022, the infamous campaign resulted in the arrest of 345,126 individuals and the deaths of 6,252 during anti-drug operations.
Before he assumed office, President Marcos said he intended to approach the war against drug abuse differently from the methods used by former President Duterte.
DoJ’s Remulla proudly announced at the 51st Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Generva that Marcos’ drug approach is in marked contrast to the bloody crackdown under the Duterte administration, where thousands of alleged drug pushers and users were killed by the police.
Remulla said the government is currently undertaking a “transformational” reform of its justice and law enforcement sectors to ensure the rule of law and the promotion and protection of the human rights of its citizens.
President Marcos is a consensus builder and has a deeply human approach to law enforcement and the anti-illegal drug campaign,” Remulla told the UN gathering. He has reminded the PNP that the use of force must always be reasonable, accountable, justifiable and only utilized when necessary and that criminal masterminds must be apprehended and punished, not small-scale users on the street.
Remulla said there will also be greater focus and resources on the rehabilitative and preventive aspect of the campaign, as well as education and assistance to victims and their families.
As Kevin Nielsen Agojo wrote in the East Asia Forum last August 31, during the Duterte regime, the PNP played an instrumental role as ‘chief executioner’ in the war on drugs. By securitizing the drug problem and elevating order over the rule of law, Duterte gave the PNP and vigilantes a carte blanche to kill suspected users and traders — exacerbating violence and injustice throughout the Philippines.
Nothing much has changed, though.