Daily Archives: March 4, 2017

Police in the Philippines are falsifying evidence to justify war on drugs killings that have caused more than 7,000 deaths of mostly poor Filipinos, according to a new Human Rights Watch report. President Rodrigo Duterte has been accused of crimes against humanity for the deaths, and the human rights organization urged the United Nations to create an independent, international investigation into the killings.

The 117-page report found the Philippine National Police have been carrying out extrajudicial killings, claiming self defense. They planted guns, spent ammunition, and drug packets on their victims bodies to implicate them in drug activities, according to the rights group.

Dutertes war on drugs is meant to target drug pushers or drug lords, but human rights charitiesincluding Amnesty Internationalsay those affected either had low-paying jobs or were unemployed and living in poor areas in big cities.

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The war lost momentum in January when South Korean businessman Jee Ick- joo was murdered by rogue policemen and Duterte decided to halt the extrajudicial killings. Now, despite concern from international organizations, Duterte is committed to renewing the war on drugs.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway in Cordova town, Cebu on Thursday, Duterte announced that he is committed to stopping drugs.

This means there will be more killings because (criminals) really fight back. It won't end tomorrow, he said , according t o national newspaper PhilStar.

In the same speech, Duterte warned 6,000 policemen that he knew they were involved in the drugs trade. You will die. Either you kill me or I kill you,the president said. Duterte told his police chief Ronald de la Rosa that he could restart his war on drugs as before, on the condition the policemen he used had integrity.

Dutertes drug war is a widespread, systematic attack directed against any civilian population, says Dr. Pauline Eadie, an assistant professor of social sciences at Nottingham University. Technically it is a crime against humanity. These killings are often cited as self-defense but that is just not credible. The police are at the very least complicit in these killings, and they have the remit to operate without sanction.

She adds that although drug dealers cause users misery, it is not OK to ignore the rules of law when dealing with the problem. The answer to the problem is [dealing with] widespread poverty. Large sections of the community see Dutertes war as a necessary evil.

Edward Sentorias, a jobless father of three, was framed by the police, according to Human Rights Watch. A close relative saw the policeman place a gun and some sachets by Sentoriass body. I went back to where I was, and was totally shocked, the relative said. I couldnt even complain. If we go complain, what is our chance against the authorities?

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Phillipines Policemen Falsify Evidence in Duterte's War on Drugs: Human Rights Watch - Newsweek

MANILA, Philippines The Commission on Human Rights on Friday urged the government to continue its war against drugs but without resorting toOplanTokhang.

"The Commission on Human Rights denounces the resumption of Operation Tokhang by the Philippine National Police," CHR said in a statement on Friday.

It added that the Philippine National Police should only reinstate the operation when concrete reforms have been introduced and after serious investigations into the extrajudicial killings have been made.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte said that he is open to the resumption of Oplan Tokhangless than a month since the Philippine National Police suspended anti-drug operations over the death of a Korean businessman allegedly abducted and killed by rogue police officers from an anti-narcotics unit.

"I dont know. I would leave it to the PNP to decide. What do they need? What do they have to do to succeed? I do not meddle in the mechanisms there. What is important for me is finish it, do it, I do not inquire into how, where, what," Duterte said on Monday.

Tokhanginvolves police going to thehouses of people on a list of alleged "drug personalities" and telling them to surrender or be arrested. Surrenderees are made to sign an admission of their involvement in drugs and a promise to stop. Concerns have been raised on the accuracy of the drug lists.

Tokhang has also been associated with more than 7,000 deaths in the war on drugs. Around 2,500 of the deaths were in police operations while the rest have been blamed on vigilantes and drug syndicates killing potential informers. Some of those killed were on the drug lists and had surrendered to authorities.

He added that it will be up to the PNP to decide whether to resume the operation or wait for a few months despite reports indicating a rise in sale of illegal drugs on the streets.

PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa, meanwhile, said that the resumption of the operation would still depend on the president.

"If he sees that we (PNP) are done with our internal cleansing, that we have cleansed our ranks and we are ready to take on the war against drugs, then maybe and hopefully (he will revive Tokhang)," Dela Rosa said during a speech in Zamboanga Citys 80th Charter Day celebration last Sunday.

CHR however said that the internal cleansing of the PNP has just begun and has not yet produced concrete results.

Police officers, whom the PNP leadership described as scalawags, were ordered transferred to Basilan. But some of the police officers questioned their inclusion on the list, saying their administrative records were clean. Other police officers did not show up for the transfer.

"No true and meaningful investigation has been concluded on the extrajudicial killings yet and worse, no single person, to date has been held to account," CHR said.

It added that the killing of South Korean national Jee Ick-Joo inside the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame only shows that Oplan Tokhang is "susceptible to abuse" by police officers.

CHR said that it stands up for the victims, both accused and innocent, who were denied due process.

"It (CHR) advocates for the rights of every single person, including every policeman or policewoman who deserves a day in court before being meted with sanctions including death," CHR said.

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CHR: Continue war on drugs but drop 'Tokhang' | Headlines, News ... - Philippine Star

Coast regional coordinator Nelson Marwa has said intimidation will not derail him in the fight against drugs.

Marwa said barons started issuing threats after President Uhuru Kenyatta issued an order for drug dealers to be arrested and possibly extradited.

But he said he won't be deterred by the threats as his actions are informed by a good cause.

"I'm ready to put my life on the line," he said on Friday, adding drug dealers were on the brink of elimination.

"How can you fight a legitimate government? It does not add up," he added.

[VIDEO] Kenya will eliminate drug barons wiping out Coast, Uhuru warns

Read: State closing in on drug-dealer politicians, Kiraithe warns

Marwa said they had devised a strategy to completely weed out drug lords at the Coast and Kenya at large.

"The first strategy is to cut off demand by taking addicts to rehabilitation. This will disrupt supply and force dealers to seek other markets," he said.

The regional boss also said assets belonging to barons will be confiscated.

"The war is neither personal not general. It is specific," he said, adding that arrests were based on intelligence.

He also asked politicians to join the war on drugs, saying it must be won.

[VIDEO] Joho wanted suspected drug baron released, was not arrested, says Marwa

More on this: Police probe Joho link to alleged drug trade by kin

Marwa accused ODM bloggers of being behind claims that he had been transferred and called for their arrest.

"My supervisors are surprised. One is not transferred through social media," he said.

Marwa spoke at NYS, Miritini, after inspecting the rehabilitation centre to be officially commissioned by Uhuru.

The centre that sits on a 13-acre plot will have fully-fledged sports and health facilities and a learning institution. It is expected to house 1,500 addicts.

About three weeks ago, Marwa said Kilifi had more than 329,000 addicts and Mombasa more than 323,000.

He said Kwale followed with 168,000, Tana River with 88,000, Taita Taveta with 58,000 and Lamu with 32,000.

After Uhuru's order, 17kgs of heroin and Sh18.4 million cash were nabbed in Mombasa.

The crackdown was carried out by detectives who were behind the arrest and extradition of four suspected drug traffickers to the US.

Baktash (40) and Ibrahim Akasha (28) and foreigners Vijay Goswami (Indian) and Hussein Shabakash (Pakistani) were flown to New York on January 31.

They were arrested in Mombasa for conspiracy to smuggle heroin and methamphetamine into the United States.

[VIDEO] Five more suspected drug barons arrested, Sh18m cash, Sh170m heroin found

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Marwa steps up war on drugs, shrugs off 'death threats' by barons ... - The Star, Kenya

A drug-free society is within reach when the right policies are properly executed, said Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Friday (March 3), as he dismissed suggestions that international pressure will cause Singapore to deviate from its policies on drugs as delusional. Speaking at the Ministry of Home Affairs Committee of Supply debate in Parliament, he also outlined three challenges Singapore is facing in the fight against narcotics.

Below is an excerpt from his speech:

The New York Times ran an article in January this year, on the Killer Drug Epidemic in the United States. Across the US, cheap smuggled heroin is handed out like candy. In 2015, more than 33,000 people died from opioid abuse, greater than the number killed in gun homicide. Babies are born with heroin dependency. Entire neighbourhoods are affected and there is little hope for their young people.

The article told the story of a young 24-year-old girl who was doing well in school. Unfortunately, she developed anorexia. That led on to alcohol, then drugs. She got addicted, and went in and out of rehab eight times, but was still unsuccessful. To pay for her drugs, she lied to her family, pawned her mothers jewellery and went into prostitution. Countless others die, either through drugs, or through drug-related violence. There are hundreds or thousands of such examples across the world.

Singapore is one of the few countries in the world that have dealt effectively with the drug problem. Our approach: We have a tough legal framework against traffickers and abusers. We are firm and relentless in enforcement. We carry out intensive efforts to educate Singaporeans on the dangers of drug abuse and all these are complemented by comprehensive rehabilitation measures.

The Economist ran a major article in January this year. It said that Asias harsh anti-drug policies are falling out of step with the rest of the world. It criticised these policies as needlessly severe and probably ineffective. Yet, it conceded that Singapores drug consumption is admirably low. It caveated that by saying this is because we are small, we have secure borders, little corruption, effective anti-drug education, and laws that allow searches without warrants and detention without trial. Apart from our size, none of the other factors happened by themselves. They are the result of our policies and many years of hard work. There is strong public support both for our tough laws and our approach. Singapores example demonstrates that the vision of a drug-resistant society is not impossible with the right policies properly executed.

The same Economist article referred to me as Singapores fearsome Law and Home Affairs Minister and it quoted my speech at the 2016 United Nations General Assembly, where I said: Show us a model that works better, that delivers a better outcome for citizens, and we will consider changing. If that cannot be done, then dont ask us to change. I dont accept the description fearsome. But I will not flinch from taking a position, in Singapore and outside Singapore, that I believe is in the interests of our people.

In this context, let me also put to rest one other myth. Recently, there have been some suggestions that international pressure will cause us to deviate from our policies. And the death penalty was referred to in that context. Such suggestions are delusional. We do what is right for Singapore. A penalty will be in the books if we believe it to be right. And it will be removed if we believe that removal is the right thing to do. And not because of any international pressure.

The challenge of keeping Singapore drug-free is increasing. First, there are growing threats from the region. South-east Asia continues to be a major market and producer of illicit drugs. Myanmar and Lao PDR account for 22 per cent of the total global area used for illicit opium poppy cultivation. The trafficking of ice and heroin in the region generates over

US$32 billion (S$45.2 billion) annually. This lucrative black market has attracted criminal syndicates from Africa, Iran, South Asia and Mexico and, of course, China. Singapore will be overrun by these syndicates if we do not take a tough approach. Our neighbours share our concerns. They, too, want to be drug-free. We will continue to partner them as we work towards a united position in Asean.

The second challenge is that the number of new drug abusers in Singapore has increased. Close to two-thirds of new abusers in 2016 were under the age of 30. A survey conducted by the National Council Against Drug Abuse in 2016 found that young people below the age of 30 were more open-minded towards drugs, as compared with a similar 2013 survey.

This is worrying. Dr Tan Wu Meng (Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC) also raised this concern.

This problem is compounded by the rise in online drug availability. Online black market sites allow users to buy drugs anonymously. The drugs are couriered in small parcels, unmarked, innocuous-looking and difficult to track. The young are especially susceptible. Many of us may think that only young people from low-income households are vulnerable. But the Task Force on Youths and Drugs commissioned a study in 2014. It found that most young cannabis abusers came from either middle or high socioeconomic backgrounds. Many of them did well in school.

The Central Narcotics Bureau will take active measures, together with our community partners, to tackle this concern.

Third, there is increasing international pressure to adopt a softer harm reduction approach. We have to remain steadfast in our resolve to keep Singapore drug-free. We will continue to work with our partners, at regional and international platforms, to safeguard our position.

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Singapore will be relentless in its war on drugs - TODAYonline

The darkness made it difficult to photograph the blood-splattered pavement.

Since crime scene investigators had not yet arrived, the dozen or so photojournalists were able to shoot close-ups of the body that laid face down, curled up in the fetal position. As the herd of photographers inched forward, repositioning themselves to find more light, Brother Jun Santiago retreated. He wanted to capture the scene from a distance.

Im trying to get out of the brutality, he said. I want to capture the stench, the smell of the crime scene. The night is so powerful. The darkness is so powerful. Right now people are sleeping and they dont know whats happening.

Brother Jun is talking about the war on drugs in the Philippines, where more than 7,500 alleged drug addicts and pushers have been killed since president Rodrigo Duterte took office eight months ago.

Since December, Santiago has been documenting the nightly killings with local and foreign journalists on the graveyard shift in Manila to bring attention to the victims, mostly low-level drug offenders from urban poor communities. At night, hes a photographer. During the day, he attends mass and fulfills his religious duties at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Manila, also known as the Baclaran Church.

With little else but a camera, Santiago has quietly led an unconventional resistance movement within the Catholic Church against the governments war on drugs, although he would say hes just a man of faith taking photos to help his community. While the hierarchy of the Church hesitated to speak out against the killings for seven months as thousands were killed, Santiago helped fill the void with his images.

Just before Christmas, his photos were blown up and displayed outside Baclaran Church along with the work of other photojournalists. The exhibit made national headlines, sparking intrigue and outrage. For many churchgoers, it was an introduction to the cruel truth of a brutal and lawless war.

It was a unique way of exposing reality, said Father Carlos Ronquillo, the rector of the Baclaran. The power of images is something that I think can be harnessed if we as a church want to engage people to think deeply about whats happening. Not only through words. Not only through preaching.

Santiagos position in the church allows him to be more involved in the community. Priests are generally too tied down with official duties to be as active in the daily lives of their parishioners. As a result, the flexibility has given Santiago room to establish a more comprehensive outreach program for victims and their families.

In January, Santiago hired Dennis Febre, a human rights activist, to oversee the administrative side of the Baclarans extra-judicial killing (EJK) response program. The initiative provides a range of services for those affected by the drug war, including financial support for families, legal assistance, livelihood and employment programs, rehabilitation resources, and protection for those under threat. Febre is responsible for following up with the families of the victims Santiago documents at night. He also verifies cases of those who come to the church on their own for support.

The concrete actions we are doing are really non-political, said Febre. We respect [Duterte] as the president of the country, but at the same time the government needs to respect human rights.

Before the drug war, the Baclaran provided burial assistance of up to 5,000 pesos ($100) for families in need, but that hardly covers the full cost, which typically runs anywhere from 30,000 to 55,000 pesos.

The families have no time to grieve. Theyre always thinking of how to bury because the cost of the funeral services is too hard on them, said Santiago.

The church realized it needed to do more. By mid-February, the Baclaran had paid all the expenses for 56 families to bury their dead. Dozens more are on a waiting list. Costs are funded by donations from hundreds of thousands of devotees who flock to the church every week. The Baclaran is one of the most attended churches in the country.

This month, resistance within the Catholic Church has grown stronger. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines released a blistering statement on Feb. 5 condemning the presidents reign of terror. Two weeks later, thousands of Catholics marched in Manila against the spreading culture of violence. Condemnations of the drug war have become commonplace during mass in many parishes on Sundays, empowering more Catholics to speak out.

Still, Ronquillo, the superior at Baclaran, questions whether these developments are enough.

The main question is what is the impact? Were in a changed time. Theres been a certain alienation that has altered peoples receptivity to what the church is saying. We are in our convents, our churches and our schools, but we are not among the people generally, Ronquillo said.

Santiagos documentation and the Baclarans EJK program strike at the heart of that disconnect. While some Church leaders continue to remain quiet or offer ineffectual criticism through words at the pulpit, Santiagos approach has paved the way for a new church order that prioritizes actions over words.

Dutertes rhetoric sometimes makes that type of advocacy difficult to carry out. He has repeatedly lambasted the Church as the most hypocritical institution, even calling it full of shit as officials ramped up attacks against his anti-drugs campaign in January. When priests and bishops speak out against the crackdown, Duterte often accuses them of womanizing or being corrupt.

He hits below the belt, said Father Amado Picardal, who has criticized Duterte for decades dating back to his time as mayor of Davao in the countrys south.

In the beginning, fear and intimidation helped stifle opposition, according to Father Atilano Fajardo, public affairs ministry director of the Archdiocese of Manila.

While many within the Church withheld criticism at the outset of the drug war to give Duterte more time to prove himself, Fajardo chose to mobilize. Less than a month into Dutertes presidency, Fajardo launched a campaign against the drug war called Huwag Kang Papatay, which translates to thou shalt not kill. As one of the first priests to speak out, Fajardo disputes the idea that the Church hasnt done enough.

Its not true, said Fajardo, referring to criticisms that the Catholic Church didnt do anything for months. Go to the parishes. Get out of your subdivisions and see what the Church is doing.

Beyond condemnations of the drug war during homilies, Fajardo points to the many parishes that are also offering rehab services, trauma counseling, and refuge for drug users and victims families.

He acknowledges, however, that these efforts need to be accompanied by mass movements and actions.

It is that belief that drives Fajardo to keep organizing and Santiago to continue covering the night shift. Without them, the dead remain nameless and the bodies become mere statistics.

The people must say this is enough, Santiago pleaded. People must mobilize because the church cannot do it alone.

This article originally appeared on Quartz.

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This Church Is Running An Unconventional Resistance Against ... - Huffington Post