NOT A STATEMENT OF FACT, BUT A STATEMENT OF POSSIBILITY

Res Gestae

Last week this column tackled the report of the US State Department
labeling the Philippines as haven for drug smugglers. Such report
indubitably gives this country a negative publicity. Worse that may
happen is for that report to scare well-meaning investors to do
business here. Truly, it is so untimely because we are still wallowing
on the tantrums of EDSA 20th anniversary and GMA's Proclamation 1017.
We deserve a break! We need a space to breathe!

In reaction to the said report tagging the Philippines as "drug
trafficker's paradise", the chief of Philippine Drug Enforcement
Agency (PDEA) said the statement is not a statement of fact, but a
mere statement of possibility.

The report is NOT a statement of fact because, as PDEA Director
Anselmo Avenido said, the government has been winning the war on
illegal drugs. Considering this country as haven for drug smugglers is
mere possibility deduced from the surrounding circumstances. We have
more than 7,000 islands and 32,000-kilometer coastline. Smugglers can
always take advantage of this geographical description.

It is NOT a statement of fact because at the moment the price of shabu
has gone up to P5,000 or more per gram from P2,000. The authorities
have exerted efforts to cut the supply by dismantling shabu
laboratories and drug markets. "Shabu is now very scarce," Avenido
claimed.

But, should the US report contain only a statement of possibility, its
claim that "illegal drug trade in the Philippines has evolved into a
billion-dollar industry" is, therefore, baseless and malicious. Shall
we allow anybody to subject our country into negative speculation with
unfounded reports?

The said report could be the basis of the US decision makers in
allocating funds for the anti-drug campaign for other countries. With
that report tagging the Philippines as "drug trafficker's paradise,"
we could be assured of the support from the US.

So here's the real score! The fund prevails than the fact! Never mind
how negative the label is, what is most important is the financial aid
that US will be allocating for our anti-drug campaign. After all, the
label is only a statement of possibility.

I am with the opinion that the Philippines cannot stand alone in its
war against illegal drugs. We have a national anti-drug strategy as
well as a national anti-drug program of action. What we need is the
sufficient funding to effectively and efficiently implement those
strategies and programs. For this, we need the US? Maybe yes! But, if
gaining the support of the US would mean this country losing its other
foreign investors with those "statements of possibilities," I would
suggest that government must take a second look on the issue.

The US State report itself said that despite limited resources, our
law enforcement efforts are considered effective. Ergo, we can
ultimately win our battle against illegal drugs with our limited
resources and even without the support of the US. The problem is when
said part of the report is also NOT a statement of fact, but only a
statement of possibility.