Read: The former president of Colombia has a message for Pres. Duterte.
READ – Colombia’s former Pres. César Gaviria has a message for Philippine Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte in dealing with the country’s drug problem.
Recently, a news report entailing the message of the former President of Colombia to Pres. Duterte in dealing with drug problem broke in. Based on a report in Inquirer, the message is entailed in the opinion article published in New York Times.
According to the report, Gaviria wrote in the article that the war against the illegal drugs “cannot be won by armed forces and law enforcement agencies alone”.
The former President of Colombia also noted his desire to tell the world and Pres. Duterte that “throwing more soldiers and police” at people who are engaged to illegal drugs can make the drug problem worse aside that it is a “waste of money”.
“Locking up nonviolent offenders and drug users almost always backfires, instead strengthening organized crime,” the ex-leader of Colombia wrote.
Furthermore, the report also stated that the former leader of Colombia made an admission that the “heavy-handed approach” of his administration was not able to totally solve the drug problem in his country.
He also gave a warning that an iron-fist approach in dealing with the country’s drug problem in the hope of protecting the people can “do more harm than good”. He stressed that “extrajudicial killings and vigilantism” and the wrong moves in deterring crime.
“Winning the fight against drugs requires addressing not just crime, but also public health, human rights, and economic development,” Gaviria stated.
Moreover, the former leader of Colombia also noted that the battles against drugs is not exempted in using means “that meet the basic standards of basic rights” and reduce the pain which is not necessary.
Since the election campaign, the former mayor of Davao City and now Pres. Duterte has always been vocal with his madness towards illegal drugs. He has even promised to end the drug problem in the country within three to six months.
Based on a previous news report, Pres. Duterte vowed that there is no stepping back in eradicating the drug problem in the country. Lots of drug users have already surrendered to the authorities after the President’s brave warnings to them.
