Change has Come

"Change is coming."
As the man of the highest political power sat on its position, Duterte's war on
drugs together with the Philippine National Police takes center stage since he
promised to the Filipino people during his candidacy that he will not stop until the
last drug lord is put behind bars.
In this year, July 4th, PNP formally launched its "Oplan Tokhang" program to
eradicate the drug users and pushers in the country. Oplan Tokhang (Toktok-Hangyo
or Knock and Plead) explained by PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa is a process by
which authorities knock on the doors of the houses of suspected drug pushers and
users and tell them to reform before it's too late.
But to add more information, if self defense is needed during the operation,
the cops can legally take the opponent's life. Duterte said a policeman is justified to
shoot the offender if his life is in danger. Result to this is others view this drive as a
"shakedown" to the society. They do not think that this politically accepted claim is
morally correct.
Dela Rosa told a Senate inquiry during the last week of August that the
confirmed number of people who had been killed in the drug war was 1,946. He said
police had shot dead 756 suspects in self-defense.
Not to be biased to the side of the cops, but we should admit there are some
suspected to be involved with drugs that are really turbulent and so the cops are
just protecting themselves. Hence, there will be no taking of lives incident if the
opponent will surrender himself without any violent acts.
Going back to the report, the rest were killed in other cases that were still
under investigation, so this means that those 1,190 other killings are blamed on
vigilantes, but police say the killers could be the traffickers themselves. These
killings are called extrajudicial killings or summary executions but it had no part in
the government's anti-illegal drugs policy. When in fact, the PNP are not in
countenance with these acts.
Also, one beneficial fact of wiping out of all the drug users and pushers is that
it aims to diminish the crime rate in the Philippines. Crime and drugs are
interconnected social ills that need to be stamped out, said Duterte. Criminality is
everywhere and it is a crucial problem in our country that needs to have an end or
at least suppress because the crime problem has taken its toll on the lifeblood of
the nations socio economic situation and society also fears that tragedy might
suddenly strike them in broad daylight.
Duterte also pointed up that these actions of the program are necessary to
prevent our country from being ran by drug lords, like some countries in America.
Can you even imagine if what our country will be in future if the number of drug
pushers and users will continue to rise? Well, it will be a lot more bloody from what

it is now. After all, the president is only after our safety and security. He will not
implement laws that will harm the people of his country.
Launching this program is like offering your own life. We never know what
might the lawbreakers or the drug syndicates are planning against the government.
In fact, the president together with the policemen are so brave to take risks even if
it will cause them their own beings for this journey to be successful. They show no
sign of stopping in achieving human peace for their countrymen. They started
strong, so we hope that they will end it stronger.
Indeed, no stones will be left unturned because our president is a man of his
words. The odds will be finally in our favor. Change has come.