EFFECTIVENESS OF OPLAN TOKHANG IN RELATION TO DRUG

REPORTED INCIDENTS IN THE CITY OF SAN FERNANDO,

PAMPANGA IN THE YEAR 2015-2016

Castro, Kenneth
 Chapter 1
The Problem and Its Background

Introduction
We will not stop until the last drug lordand the last pusher have surrendered
or are put either behind bars or below the ground, if they so wish
-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (SONA 2016, July-2016)

For more than decades, Illegal drugs is one of the major problems of
countries all over the world. The current situation on war against drugs in the
world is very horrible that have an effect in the society and economy of a country.
Philippines is one of the country which is affected by illegal drugs. An estimated
of 100 million Filipinos are living in the country. In 2016 during the reign of
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte about 2000 drug personalities were killed due to
drug related cases. Rather spending a lot of money and putting persons into
prison who are innocent and sometimes being killed. The government should
make an effective treatments or programs to the users of illegal drugs (Sean
Martin, 2013).
The United States Administration helped the Colombian government by
passing a bill giving them a financial help for counter narcotics aid package.
Colombian government ask a financial aid to other nations to support their
campaign in Columbia on war against drugs in their country. Colombian
government was expected to receive a $7.5 billion but in the end they only
received a financial aid of $1.5 billion. When the plan was made Colombia is in a
state of economic repression and experienced chaos throughout their country.
Plan Colombia was made as a machinery for peace, prosperity, and uniting all
people in Colombia. The focus of the plan is centered on the improvement of
their country in peace process, in anti-narcotics plan and the development of
their country. Plan Colombia is the aerial spraying of coca crops in Colombia
which would eliminate the production of cocaine in their country and aiding
military needs in their law enforcement but when the police force implemented
Plan Colombia thousands of people have died due to drug related cases and
people were traumatized because of the brutal implementation of Plan Colombia
(Reid 2010).
Felipe Calderonis was the president of Colombia in the year (2006-2012)
he declared a war against drugs and resulted to death, torture, mass killings, and
other violence. Because of this other victim have suffered from PSTD (Post
Traumatic Stress Disease). The government respond through it by hiring a lot of
doctors, psychiatrist and nurses that can help the patients in recovering from
their traumas (Lohmuller, 2014).
People experience trauma because of the violence in Plan Colombia. The
World Bank find out 1.5 billion people have experienced conflict and long term
violence in every generation (Adams, 2011, p.1). We need to interview persons
that suffer physical violence and trauma to see the overview of victim
experiences. In political violence Ignation Martin-Baro (1989) defines trauma is
the most basic form of suffering. Based on Baro who worked as a psychiatrist in
El Salvador, trauma for him is a permanent residue of what happened and a bad
thing that transpires in a life of a person. (Hernandez, 2002) research shows that
trauma is a product of cruel relationship (p.16). Similarly, Konnie Jan off- Bulman
(2004) writes trauma is like an event to ourselves that destroys not only us but
also our society (Adams, 2011, p. 1) (Martn-Bar, 1989, p.13) (Hernndez,
2002, p.16) (Bulman, 2004, p.30).
In the year 2000, Minister of Thailand, Thaksin introduced a zero-tolerance
war on drugs. It is a response to the consumption of heroin and its objective is to
make Thailand a drug free country by December 2003. The police of Thailand
were tasked to apprehend a number of drugs users. They even offered incentives
if they exceed beyond the number of targets. The drug users who were
apprehended were ordered to attend seminars and treatment programs by the
end of the year and those who refused were detained in compulsory detention
centers which are manage by military. The leaders were tasked to make a list of
drug dealers and users which were passed to the police. Even the village were
rewarded once they get a drug free status. In 2009 Clean and Seal program in
Thailand was implemented again against illegal drugs. In 2011 the campaign of
Kingdom Unity have won, thousands have been arrested, millions of illegal drugs
were confiscated, exactly 320,000 drug users have surrendered to the
government for rehabilitation and later during 2004 the number of users who
surrendered went totally down to 30,000. Yaa Baa drugs has increased in price
but the availability of it went down. The success in war against drugs was
overshadowed because of abuses of human rights by the government until now
(Mejia, 2013).
Duterte ordered the Philippine National Police to crackdown all persons
who are involved in illegal drugs in the Philippines. Since his reign he
implemented the plan of OPLAN TOKHANG which resulted to the arrest of many
drug personalities involving some other politicians and worst they were being
killed in the operations of the police (Euan McKirdy, September 4, 2016).
Police Director Levi Ortiz said that OPLAN TOKHANG in Region 9 is a
successful plan in Zamboanga Peninsula. A large number of illegal drug users
approximately 38,000 have surrendered to the PDEA and PNP of PRO9 (August
06, 2016, Gideon C. Corgue).

In Butuan City, Oplan Tokhang and Oplan Double Barrel resulted to the
arrest of some high and low value target in the city, Robert Victor Seares who is
the city mayor have a program for all the drug users who wanted to change their
lives (Brian Maglunsod, Thom Andrade, Aldwin Quitasol, July 8, 2016).
Statement of the Problem

The present study aims to determine the effectiveness of Oplan

Tokhang/Oplan Double Barrel in relation to drug reported incidents in the City of
San Fernando, Pampanga for the year 2015-2016.

Specially, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. How may the demographic profile of the respondents be described in terms

of:
a. Age;
b. Sex;
c. Civil Status;
d. Socio economic status;
e. And educational attainment?
2. What is the level of effectiveness of the Oplan Tokhang in combatting
incidence of drugs in the area of the study as perceived by the research
respondents?
3. What is the present status of drug surrenders resulted from the
implementation of the Oplan Tokhang in the area of the study?
4. What is the crime situation analysis of drug reported incidents at the San
Fernando Police Station for the month of January 2015 to December 2016 in
the area of the study?
5. Is there a significant difference with regard to crime situation of drug cases for
the month of January 2015 to December 2016 in the area of the study?

6. What is the degree of the seriousness of the problems regarding the

implementation of Oplan Tokhang in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga
despite the declared war on drugs by the Government?
Scope and Limitation

This study is limited only in City of San Fernando, Pampanga wherein the
implementation of Oplan Tokhang is being observed. The results of the study is
only applicable in the city of San Fernando, Pampanga and cannot be applicable
to other places in the country. San Fernando is a first-class component city in the
Philippine province of Pampanga, of which it is the provincial capital. The
regional center of Central Luzon (Region III), it has a population of 306,659
people according to the 2015 census.

Significance of the study

This study is very beneficial to the researchers in able for them to know
how serious is the implementation of Oplan Tokhang in the City of San Fernando,
Pampanga. To the students in able for them to have a knowledge on what will be
the consequences they might encounter when they use drugs. To the future
researchers for their reference in their study. To the City Government of San
Fernando, for them to be able to draft a policy development program in their area
of jurisdiction. To the community in general in order for them to have a safe and a
drug free community and lastly to the drug users and pushers who wants to
change their lives because the government have a program for them in order to
rehabilitate them and make them a well reformed person.