Marcos Administration's Drug War Policy: A Human Rights Concern

The Marcos administration's claim to a "peaceful" drug war policy has been met with skepticism by human rights advocates, who point out that the number of deaths remains high and the government's approach has not addressed the root causes of the problem. According to Human Rights Watch, the real number of drug-related killings under Duterte's administration may be as high as 30,000, despite official figures of over 6,000. The administration's pivot to a "bloodless" antidrug drive has been accompanied by a significant increase in drug seizures, but many experts believe that this is a result of a change in methodology rather than a genuine shift in policy.

Key Takeaways:

• The Marcos administration's drug war policy has led to a significant decrease in the number of drug-related killings, but human rights advocates believe that this is not enough to address the root causes of the problem.
• The government has seized over P82.58 billion worth of illegal drugs in the first three years of Marcos' presidency, more than double the P34.75 billion seized during the same period under Duterte.
• Independent monitors have documented a total of 1,009 drug-related killings since Marcos assumed power, including those carried out by vigilantes and unidentified assailants.
• Carlos Conde, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, has expressed concerns about the lack of accountability among police personnel involved in drug war killings under Duterte, and has warned that the government's failure to investigate these incidents will erode trust in the police.
• Conde has called for a change in mindset towards drug users, viewing them as people who need help and support rather than a problem to be killed or swept away.
• The Marcos administration has been urged to adopt a harm reduction approach in its drug reform and rehabilitation policy, prioritizing grassroots and community-based rehabilitation over incarceration.

Statistics:

• 6,000: The official number of drug-related killings under Duterte's administration (Human Rights Watch)
• 30,000: The estimated number of drug-related killings under Duterte's administration (Human Rights Watch)
• 1,009: The total number of drug-related killings since Marcos assumed power, including those carried out by vigilantes and unidentified assailants (Dahas project of the Third World Studies Center of the University of the Philippines and the Development Studies of Ghent University in Belgium)
• 271: The number of people killed in drug operations during the first three years of Marcos' presidency (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency)
• 5,552: The number of people killed in drug operations during the first three years of Duterte's presidency (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency)
• P82.58 billion: The total value of illegal drugs seized in the first three years of Marcos' presidency (Malacanang)
• P34.75 billion: The total value of illegal drugs seized during the same period under Duterte (Malacanang)
• P91.06 billion: The total value of illegal drugs seized under Duterte's presidency (Malacanang)

Sources:

• Human Rights Watch
• Malacanang
• Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
• Dahas project of the Third World Studies Center of the University of the Philippines
• Development Studies of Ghent University in Belgium