Tinimbang, Marynielle, O.

1-11

Transgressing through Engineering

I am not in favor of the implementation of the so-called ‘War on Drugs’.

President Duterte received many criticisms right before he became the president of the country
because of aggravating Davao Death Squad. It seems like he continued what he started to fulfill his
promise to the netizens which is to end the abusage of drugs in the country. According to the Philippine
National Police last May 2018, there are approximately four thousand people killed right when ‘War on
Drugs’ was executed in 2016. However, there are still 16,000 cases of homicide that are yet to be
investigated last September 2017, which are also called as “state-sponsored”. Engineering is an
application of Science and Mathematics that seeks to solve problems and figure out how things work to
improve the quality of life. Since Genetic Engineering maximizes the use of plants to manipulates its
genes to modify an organism, it can be helpful to study the uses of these drugs like “marijuana” to
optimize its uses. ‘War on Drugs” violates human right, permitting violence and quite costly based
on other countries performing this kind of act. There are many ways to solve this case like asking
for help from the engineers regarding on how to maximize the resources and creating machines
while considering the ethical issues in their proposals (e.g. civilian or police killings).

According to “Bato” dela Rosa, late chief of PNP, the numbers were misinterpreted, and
they used it to catch the attention of the Filipinos.

The power to govern against ‘War on Drugs’ was taken away to the police since they are
involved to lots of controversies; just like the P10,000 added to the salary of the policeman in every kill
even though it is not related to drugs. On the other hand, President Duterte insisted that Police should be
in power with ‘War on Drugs’. On the other hand, there are 2,668 victims killed who are proven not
guilty and found to be not related to drugs. On behalf of the engineers, they are not responsible for any
violent acts on “War on Drugs” so it is not their duty to interfere.

There are many ways of optimizing the use of drugs and one of these is to study its uses.
According to the study of Peter Grinspoon, marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes based on the
dosages that a patient can take. This simply means that violence can be prohibited when it is used
properly. With the help of chemical and genetic engineering and of course, medicinal studies and
researches, these drugs can be helpful in saving lives especially “marijuana”.
 Inclined with the state through Article III, Section 1 the right of people to live, which is not
reversable in any way in the constitution.

The envision of the president regarding war against drugs is that it can be vanished completely in
“three to six months”. He said that this is for the next generations and left this saying; “do not destroy the
young people of my country.” However, it is observed that this strategy is not effective to perish drugs in
the country, just like the condition of war on drugs in Mexico: costly, bloody and quite futile. They are
battling almost a century against drugs.

Seek help and consider the data that can engineers can do since they are inclined in
researches. Engineers study the Science and Math generally to improve the quality of our lives and in
related to their loads of work, they can produce empirical results from on-the ground-data which can
prove that violence is not the proper and best solution against drugs.

War on drugs instilled that drugs can harm the Filipinos instead violence is not the solution to perish
drugs. In relation to our resistance with current regime is also my proposition to improve this.

Enclosed in the mandatory of the police that they should respect the civil rights and discipline;
rather, strictly tightened. Second, due process should be implemented well: according to Article III,
Section 14 of the current constitution is “(1) a person who did not undergo in the right process of
jurisdiction is not responsible and not considered a criminal. Lastly, there are many ways to cease
drugs without using violence and make those so-called illegal drugs legal to abolish the black
market and to demolish the stigma in connection to its usage to make it easier to rehabilitate its
users. Legalizing these drugs can be possible with the help of technology itself and engineers which
is considered a big help to prohibit the people to abuse drugs. Nobody wins in a war, if the
government wants to end war, the fight against to it should not be considered as a war.

References:

Reports, Special. "How a Secretive Police Squad Racked up Kills in Duterte's Drug War." Reuters.
December 19, 2017. Accessed November 7, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-
report/philippines-drugs-squad/.

Felipe, Cecille Suerte. "PNP Bares Numbers: 4,251 Dead in Drug War." Philstar.com. May 07, 2018.
Accessed November 7, 2019. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/05/08/1813217/pnp-bares-
numbers-4251-dead-drug-war.
 Regencia, Ted. "Senator: Rodrigo Duterte's Drug War Has Killed 20,000." Al Jazeera. February 21,
2018. Accessed September 13, 2018. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/senator-rodrigo-duterte-
drug-war-killed-20000-180221134139202.html.

Jesus, Julliane Love De. "Bato Slams Media for 'sensationalizing, Misinterpreting' Killings." Inquirer
News. Accessed November 7, 2019. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/884151/bato-slams-media-for-
sensationalizing-misinterpreting-killings.

Revita, Juliet C. "PNP's Return to Drug War Depends on Duterte." Sunstar. October 20, 2017. Accessed
November 7, 2019. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/170527.

Mogato, Manuel. "Special Report: Police Describe Kill Rewards, Staged Crime Scenes..." Reuters.
April 18, 2017. Accessed November 7, 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-
police-specialrep/special-report-police-describe-kill-rewards-staged-crime-scenes-in-dutertes-drug-war-
idUSKBN17K1F4.

Macas, Trisha. "PDEA STILL IN LEAD ROLE: PNP Back in Duterte's War on Drugs." GMA News
Online. December 05, 2017. Accessed November 7, 2019.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/635498/pnp-back-in-duterte-s-war-on-drugs/story/.

"Duterte Vows to End Criminality in 3 Months." Philstar.com. Accessed November 7, 2019.

Lim, Frinston. "Duterte: It's My Duty to Destroy Those Who Destroy Country." Inquirer News.
Accessed September 13, 2018. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/910044/duterte-its-my-duty-to-destroy-those-
who-destroy-country.

Lakhani, Nina. "Mexico's War on Drugs: What Has It Achieved and How Is the US Involved?" The
Guardian. December 08, 2016. Accessed November 7, 2019.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/dec/08/mexico-war-on-drugs-cost-achievements-us-billions.

Chap. III, Secs. 2.9 at 2.12. Ethical Doctrine Manual, Philippine National Police

Lopez. "How Do Other Countries Deal with Drugs?" Vox. August 21, 2014. Accessed September 18,
2018. https://www.vox.com/cards/war-on-drugs-marijuana-cocaine-heroin-meth/war-on-drugs-other-
countries.

Grinspoon, Peter. “Medical Marijuana”. June 29, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/medical-marijuana-2018011513085