In a press conference here Wednesday, Dr. Benjamin Reyes, chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said the memo-circular will be issued soon by the Inter- Agency Task Force for the Establishment and Support of Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers (DATRCs) which was created by Pres. Duterte under Executive Order No. 4.
Reyes noted that many drug users have refrained from undergoing rehabilitation because of stigma. “They are under the impression that those who undergo rehabilitation are crazy or comprise the dregs of society,” he said.
In the press conference, Health Sec. Paulyn Jean Ubial noted that there are now 48 drug rehabilitation centers throughout the country accommodating about 12,000 drug users. Of these centers, only 15 are run by the government, the others being private.
Police reports noted that in Central Luzon alone, there were about 127,000 drug user surrenderees since July last year. At the so-called mega drug rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, which was built at the cost of P1.2 billion, only 127 drug users have been accommodated.
“The Department of Health cannot just go run after drug users and tell them they should submit to rehabilitation. We need the help of local government units,” Ubial said.
Reyes said that the memo-circular to be issued soon by his task force is also expected to push local government units to fully activate their city, municipal and barangay anti-drug abuse councils, as he lamented that many such councils have remained dormant.
Local Governments Undersecretary John Castriones noted during the conference that drug users would have two options, namely to face prosecution or just have themselves rehabilitated. He said drug users should realize rehabilitation as better option.
This, even as League of Prosecutors of the Philippines president Danilo Yang said his organization has agreed to undertake measures to speed up court processes so that drug users could be brought to rehabilitation centers. Court orders for commitment of users to such centers, he pointed out, are necessary so that those who manage the centers could not be later accused of illegal detention.
Ubial said, however, there are cases wherein the user sign waivers for their voluntary commitment to rehabilitation centers.
