The Drug Wars before Duterte

Tokhang Sa Tokhang

Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs was the bloodiest, but it was not the exception. It was the culmination of a problematic, simplistic paradigm that was festering and unchallenged for decades. From the dictator Marcos to the terms of Estrada and Arroyo, and even with some supporters of the Aquinos, abusive "total wars on drugs" had been enabled by everyone from populist politicians to moralistic, conservative sectors - religious leaders included. Whichever came first - the popularity or the populism - these unbridled, abusive campaigns have made governments and the entire society miss crucial insights on how to more responsibly deal with drugs and all its associated social ills.

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