The tough-talking President Rodrigo Duterte who spewed fire and brimstones against the apparent diatribe of the United Nations on the alleged human rights violations in the country may had found an ally in Singapore.
In 2014, the Lion State roared against the UN for its ‘soft approach’ to illegal drugs. While the alleged summary executions of suspected drug dealers and users snuffed away the lives of nearly 2,000 people since the Duterte administration took over at Malacanang, Singapore’s strict laws and capital punishment leveled against drug dealers keep the small country free of the drug menace.
Illegal drugs destroy users, create a “dysfunctional family” and in the process destroy the society or the entire country.
Singapore’s tough stand against illegal drugs made it safer for its residents and visitors. But the use of strict laws and capital punishment against those involved in the drug trade have come under criticism. The same is now happening in the Philippines.
But who will stop the drug menace?
Before Duterte assumed his post, crime particularly rape had been a common occurrence in the country. The most gruesome crimes had been committed by individuals who were under the influence of drugs.
“We believe that drugs will destroy our society,” according to then Singapore Minister for Home Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam. “With 200 million people traveling through our borders every year, and given Singaporeans’ purchasing power, a soft approach will mean our country will be washed over with drugs.”
“Are you sure this will work?”, asked journalist Cristiane Amanpour to Senator Peter Allan Cayetano referring to the summary executions going on in the country. “As you know in neighboring Thailand, they tried the very similar thing back in the early 2000. A huge crackdown and offensive against so-called drug lords and drug continues and the pushing continues and the trafficking continues. And as you know in Mexico, decades of going after drug lords and kingpins and tens of thousands being killed and it still carries on. So is this the right method?”
Cayetano replied: “In Singapore, people love the law and fear the law. That’s all our President is trying to do. It’s working now.”
Well, the “Kill List” that Cayeteno showed to Amanpour continues to increase unabated. The death toll continues.