THE SHABU MENACE IS FAR FROM LICKED

THERE was a hint of farce in the discovery of a shabu "bazaar" in the
middle of a squatters' neighborhood in Pasig City on Friday. For the
past three years, the place had been invisible to the authorities
despite its nearness to City Hall. Its operation was definitely an
open secret in the community, and the maintainers even had the
audacity to hang a sign, "Shabu shabu restaurant," outside the
establishment.

But the Philippine National Police chief, Arturo Lomibao, wasn't
amused at all. How the bazaar eluded detection for so long was beyond
him. There was, after all, a police precinct less than a hundred
meters away. He promptly sacked the precinct commander and his men and
promised that more heads will roll.

President Arroyo wasn't laughing either. Over the weekend she ordered
the reactivation of the government's crackdown on drugs, with
particular emphasis on going after politicians and police who are in
league with drug lords.

The brazen trafficking of shabu in Pasig should ring the alarm bell
for the government. After a series of high-profile busts of shabu
factories two years ago, the government's antidrug campaign appears to
have slackened. The official line was that the big-time operators were
on the run, their operation in shambles.

Have the shabu traffickers really been drummed out of business? Or
have they just changed their tactics? If the drug lords are really
feeling the pinch, they would have cut production drastically, and the
street price of shabu would have dramatically risen. But the substance
was being sold in Pasig at the affordable range of P10 to P40, an
indication that it is in ample supply.

Drug enforcement agencies remind us that there are three million drug
users in the Philippines today. By comparison, there were only 20,000
in 1972. That in itself is a worrisome statistic. Even more disturbing
is the finding that a growing segment of drug users is in the 10-
to-15 year-old age bracket.

Among the people rounded up during the raid in Pasig were a number of
minors, including three pregnant teenagers.

That the statistics match with the situation on the ground is not a
coincidence.

What needs to be done?

First, the government must acknowledge that the shabu menace is far
from licked. Then it should draw up its battle plan, mobilize its
forces and launch the crackdown. This time, however, it must make sure
that the campaign brings about the conviction of major drug lords. In
the past, drug lords hauled before the courts had beaten the rap
through technicalities, mainly because of shoddy police work.

The government must also see to it that the jails where suspected drug
operators are being held are escape-proof. Many times, the suspects
awaiting trial vanish from their cells or while being escorted to
court. No magic there, just a lot of money changing hands.

If the government is relaunching its crusade against drugs, it should
do it right. Otherwise it risks being embarrassed by the discovery of
another shabu bazaar.