Vice President Leni Robredo, for example, has proposed that we decriminalize drug use. Yet, as I wrote in a past column (“Why the Bassiani-Café Gallery uprising never happened in Manila,” September 4, 2018), Robredo’s “drug decriminalization statements weren’t really followed up with a clear platform of action and a convincing, consistent and persistent stance on this issue.”I agree that we need to rethink our country’s drug laws. But for me, Duterte’s differentiation signals us to rethink narcotics and their actual harmful threat to society. Instead of decriminalizing shabu (which I will never be in favor of), I would rather have the government pursue a drug substitution program. Modafinil is a wakefulness drug actually prescribed to shift workers in order to improve their alertness.

Source: Manila Times September 19, 2018 16:18 UTC