For The Bohol Tribune
In This Our Journey
NESTOR MANIEBO PESTELOS
In its recent
pastoral letter issued earlier this week, the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines (CBCP} has called on the faithful to stand united in the fight
against drugs starting in their own communities. The CBCP said in its pastoral
letter with the title “Addiction, Freedom and Disciples.”:
“The community of
the faithful should stand as one and be united in fighting this destructive
menace and social evil. We must be firm in our resolve to eliminate it in our
communities so that our young can live toward a healthy, productive and vibrant
future, and our adults not to be sidetracked in their quest for fullness of
life.”
The CBCP reminded
Filipinos that drug trafficking and drug abuse were some of the “most
pernicious forms of colonization” that Pope Francis talked about during his visit
to the country in January. While the Catholic Church is against the death
penalty, “it calls for resoluteness from the police and law enforcement
agencies to prevent the trafficking of drugs; to apprehend those involved in
the trafficking of drugs.”
The CBCP calls for
the dismantling of the syndicates and cartels involved in the drug trade and to
make sure that seized drugs are destroyed and not recycled and brought back to
the illegal drug trade. It further says:
“We call for the relentless prosecution of those responsible for trafficking in
drugs …”
Sen. Vicente Sotto
III, minority leader and former chair of the committee on illegal drugs, was
requested by the CBCP to brief the bishops on the illegal drug trade. He said
that according to the 2014 report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
(PDEA), 20.5% or 10,009 barangays out of the country’s 42,065 barangays are
drug-affected, actually much, much lower than the 90% cited by mass media
reports more than a month ago. Nonetheless the figure is quite alarming when
broken down into specific barangays in municipalities most affected by the drug
menace.
These drug-affected barangays have “a determined existence of a
drug user, pusher, manufacturer, marijuana cultivator or drug personality
regardless of number in the area.” The
PDEA report said shabu and marijuana are the “most abused illegal drugs” as
indicated by the number of arrests involving these drugs.
According to the
Senator, the PDEA reported an increasing number of incidents of transporting
drugs via mail and parcel services “since
detection is much lower due to anonymity and use of fictitious names to mislead
authorities.” Furthermore, utilization
of various materials like sandals, milk boxes and electronic devices to conceal
illegal drugs was also noted.
In his presentation
to the bishops, Senator Sotto said that less than 20% of drug violators had been persecuted in the
country – a situation similar to what exists in Bohol that while many are
arrested, only very few get persecuted. A police chief has admitted that in
less than two hours, a bail is posted for those arrested in buy-bust
operations!
Then the Senator
said something familiar to Filipinos, including Boholanos, because it has been
said by politicians and religious leaders of all stripes and colors, some
people in media, as well as those in civil society organizations and academic
institutions although with the latter they seem to be more comfortable doing it
with muffled voices and most likely shaking knees for fear that they may
preempt what their respective masters and handlers will say:
“The fight against
drugs will never be won if we do not concentrate on prevention and
rehabilitation. Even if we collect and destroy all the illegal drugs in the
country today, as long as there are drug dependents, there will be drug abuse.”
Whether the
interventions are in prevention, rehabilitation or police action to take out
pushers, the net objective effect will be the same - drug demand reduction,
which means less money to go around for probably buying votes; donating to charities
run by churches and favored civic groups; sending sons and daughters to
exclusive schools; buying properties left and right; silencing or intimidating
media; providing motorcycles and guns to those riding in tandem and so on ad
nauseam. On the whole, the drug menace benefits everybody in the short term which
probably explains the conspiracy of silence that seems to exist despite the
profound damage inflicted on our way of life.
Those who read this
with the assassin’s mentality should take note that I used “probably” as the
operative word in the previous paragraph. In the long term if this despicable
situation continues to exist in our beloved province, we will all end up as
losers, both those who engage in illegal drug for short-term benefits and those
who prefer do nothing about the situation.
The cynical among us
will say that those who have helped the illegal drug trade flourish in Bohol
can always leave the province and enjoy their enormous wealth somewhere else.
Yes, but I still believe they will live with the greater burden of a bad
conscience which will bother them no end for the rest of their lives. Hence,
let us say to them repent, repent, repent and serve your term in jail, mend
your evil ways and avoid the torture of having generations of your children,
grandchildren and great great grandchildren pursued with the ghosts of those
whose innocent lives have been sacrificed in your immoral pursuit of material
wealth.
I am convinced that
in a seemingly hopeless situation when the Government and the Church seem inept
in doing something concrete and effective in addressing the drug menace in
Bohol and the rest of the country, it should be the religious sector, Catholics
and non-Catholics alike, who should take on this modern-day challenge. In the
words we used to memorize when we were in high school, we appeal to them to
stop fiddling while Rome burns!
In the words of Pope
Francis, Christians should stop “spiritualizing,” memorizing Biblical quotes
while all around them there is the multitude living in poverty and misery and
affected more adversely by the social problems such as the proliferation of the
illegal drug trade. I am sure most religions are also in the same pro-poor mind
set and are ready to use their vast material wealth and intellectual prowess to
be engaged in this final struggle against the powerful who make faith in God
and social justice a mockery during these times and age.
It is time to stop
fiddling violins of indifference and parochialism and join the multitude and
rouse them up from passivity and despair and make a vital force to recreate
human history truly in the image of God the Creator.
Again, at this
critical juncture in our history both in the province and the country as a
whole, we need faith-based organizations to lead the way to show us the true
path towards liberation from the drug menace which enslaves both our body and
soul. Again, I turn to Pope Francis for inspiration in this journey to
translate rhetoric to action.
During his visit to
a drug rehabilitation center, the St. Francis de Assisi of the Providence of
God Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 24 July 2013, said the following for
all of us who do not want to just fiddle while Rome burns in this drug abuse
issue which affects practically all countries in the world today:
To embrace, to embrace
– we all have to learn to embrace the one in need, as Saint Francis did. There
are so many situations in Brazil, and throughout the world, that require attention, care and love, like
the fight against chemical dependency. Often, instead, it is selfishness that
prevails in our society. How many “dealers of death” there are that follow the
logic of power and money at any cost!
The scourge of
drug-trafficking, that favours violence and sows the seeds of suffering and death,
requires of society as a whole an act of courage. A reduction in the spread and
influence of drug addiction will not be achieved by a liberalization of drug
use, as is currently being proposed in various parts of Latin America.
Rather, it is necessary
to confront the problems underlying the use of these drugs, by promoting
greater justice, educating young people in the values that build up life in
society, accompanying those in difficulty and giving them hope for the future.
We all need to look upon one another with the loving eyes of Christ, and to
learn to embrace those in need, in order to show our closeness, affection and
love.
To embrace someone is
not enough, however. We must hold the hand of the one in need, of the one who
has fallen into the darkness of dependency perhaps without even knowing how,
and we must say to him or her: You can get up, you can stand up. It is
difficult, but it is possible if you want to.
Dear friends, I wish
to say to each of you, but especially to all those others who have not had the
courage to embark on our journey: You have to want to stand up; this is the
indispensable condition! You will find an outstretched hand ready to help you,
but no one is able to stand up in your place. But you are never alone! The Church
and so many people are close to you. Look ahead with confidence. Yours is a
long and difficult journey, but look ahead, there is “a sure future, set
against a different horizon with regard to the illusory enticements of the
idols of this world, yet granting new momentum and strength to our daily lives”
(Lumen
Fidei, 57).
To all of you, I
repeat: Do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let yourselves be
robbed of hope! And not only that, but I say to us all: let us not rob others
of hope, let us become bearers of hope!
I must stop here and
let his words sink in for our dear readers to ponder upon, Christians or non-Christians.
Lastly, I want to
take note this is the end of Ramadan. I want to greet Eid al-Fitr all my Muslim
friends both in the Southern Philippines and in other countries where I worked
in projects in predominantly Muslim communities (Malaysia, Indonesia, Fiji,
Maldives, Bangladesh).
I would like to
thank my close friend, Mohamed Hilmy and his family from Maldives who visited
us twice here in Bohol. Hilmy sent us an important document published by the
the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), National Drug Use
Survery 2011/2012, in his efforts to assist us in this current advocacy to
address the drug menace in Bohol. In my next column, I will discuss lessons
relevant to our situation here which we can glean from the document emailed by
my friend, Hilmy from Maldives. Truly in this problem which has become of
global proportions, we need long, long bridge of helping hands. #Boholdrugmenace
NMP/17 July 2015/7.51 a.m.
