Arrest, rehab for illegal drug users

Police chief General Nicolas Torre III sought to set the record straight: his “paramihan ng aresto” order is not a return to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

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Instead of arrests resulting in deaths, suspects will be caught alive, where their rights will be strictly upheld. Instead of violence, he said illegal drug users will be offered rehabilitation services.

“Hindi ito iyong dating nangyayari na patay ang tao, ang nagrereklamo ay iyong pamilya — hindi ganoon. Ang hinuli mismo, buhay ‘yan,” Torre said at a Malacañang press briefing on Wednesday, June 4.

(This isn’t like what used to happen where the person was already dead and it was the family filing the complaint — it’s not like that. The one who was arrested is alive.)

The new police chief stressed that those accused will be given access to legal remedies, including free legal counsel for those who cannot afford it, as guaranteed by law.

Torre also said he had instructed the inspector general of the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) to ensure that the public can report police misconduct to the People’s Law Enforcement Board.

REHAB OPPORTUNITIES

But illegal drug users do not have to wait to be arrested to receive help, Torre said. Those who surrender voluntarily will be referred to rehabilitation centers.