Duterte’s war on drugs is leaving children to pay the price, but not asking why they turned to crime
Reuben James Barrete calls on the Philippine government to delve into the socio-economic and family-based risks that push children from urban poor communities into drug trade and trafficking, and find ways to stop their marginalisation
Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” has been his flagship campaign since he ran for the presidency, to curtail the drug trade in the Philippines. More than 7,000 deaths have been linked to anti-drug operations since he took office last June.
However, the campaign has not only killed alleged drug addicts, it has also left children as orphans. Worse, some have become victims, shot by stray bullets or caught in the middle of an anti-drug operation.
The non-government Children’s Legal Rights and Development Centre said at least 31 minors have been killed by police and vigilantes since the campaign began; some were direct targets, while others were innocent. In an interview, Duterte referred to the deaths of innocent children as “collateral damage”.
Duterte’s war on drugs creating generation of orphans
Most of these children were left orphaned or worse, still traumatised from witnessing the killings of their loved ones or parents. According to data provided by the Women and Children Protection Centre of the Philippine National Police, a total of 26,415 children allegedly involved in the use, sale or transport of drugs had surrendered to police as of January.
In response to this alarming situation of children being used in the drug trade, the Philippine Congress proposed a bill to lower the age of criminality for children – from 15 years to nine – instead of facilitating responsive measures to help such children get out of this unwanted circumstance.
The death toll of children affected by the drug war should never be disregarded. And lives matter regardless of socio-economic background.
The present administration ... never deeply examined why children are used as instruments in drug trade and trafficking
According to Amnesty International, a considerable concentration of drug operations is conducted among the urban poor. In their investigation, a police officer in an anti-illegal drugs unit in Metro Manila said they are paid 8,000 pesos (HK$1,256) to 15,000 pesos under the table for killing alleged drug offenders.