Oplan Tokhang 2.0 or whatever they call this campaign to go after illegal drug users and peddlers has adopted changes, but whether it will be more successful or not depends largely on how the government enforces it.
The most interesting facet is the recruitment of priests into the campaign since the official reasoning is that the Philippine National Police (PNP) wants the Catholic Church to see “that what we are doing is good,” in the words of PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa.
It’s similar to what is adopted as operational doctrine during drug raids when a barangay official and a media representative are invited to bear witness to the operation to ensure transparency and accountability by the raiding team.
It had worked for the most part; and barangay officials found to be uncooperative during drug den raids were penalized, as in the case of the Barangay Ermita officials, led by its Chairman Felicisimo Rupinta, who were ordered suspended by the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Accompanying police during Oplan Tokhang may be good for the Catholic clergy whose leadership has so far been receptive to the idea. And it won’t hurt if the priests or pastors are given a chance to convince drug users and peddlers to repent and see the error of their ways lest they be penalized or something worse happens to them.
That “something worse” may be left unsaid, but the public knows by now the fate that awaits unrepentant drug users and peddlers who avoid prosecution by going further under the radar.
The inclusion of the priests and the recruitment of only the best and cleanest police officers are said to further refine and improve Oplan Tokhang to make it acceptable to even the most skeptical of critics.
More importantly, these steps will hopefully prevent another repeat of the kidnapping and murder of drug suspects whether rich or poor by errant and abusive police officers.
Maybe the police can even allow drug users and peddlers to attend spiritual renewals or retreats in cooperation with the church to further advance their rehabilitation.
However, it would have been better if the legality of Oplan Tokhang was verified in the first place to determine if it is in accordance with the Constitution’s Bill of Rights especially in the provision against self-incrimination.
Simply put, Oplan Tokhang is a shakedown of suspected drug users and peddlers to force them to be listed and marked down by the police as an offender even in the absence of evidence of their guilt.
The recruitment of priests into the campaign may give Oplan Tokhang 2.0 the legitimacy it needs to insulate it from criticism of rights advocates. That remains to be seen, but it is certain that priests won’t join any drug raids anytime soon.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
