Make A Change Persuasion Project

The speaker, Ethan, discusses the ongoing drug war in his home country, the Philippines, initiated by President Duterte. He shares statistics about the number of arrests and drug users in the country. Ethan expresses his concern about the critical nature of the drug problem and questions why people don't take it seriously. He mentions Duterte's aggressive approach and the condemnation it has received from world leaders and rights groups. The topic then shifts to Duterte's changing foreign policy, strained relations with the US, and his desire for a better relationship with China. Ethan expresses his disagreement with the violence and advocates for a more peaceful approach through rehabilitation centers. He shares a personal story of someone he knows who faced drug problems and highlights the need for change to prevent drugs from controlling the nation. Ethan mentions the efforts of volunteers and organizations in establishing recovery clinics and the positive impact of the universal he Hey, how's it going, y'all? I'm Ethan, and I'm looking forward to this next episode of my podcast. The topic for today actually hits pretty close to home for me. I'd like to talk at least a little bit about it and the situation. My home country of the Philippines is in the middle of a quote-unquote drug war slash drug crisis at the moment. It hasn't been a widely discussed topic recently, but I think it's still a problem. The drug war was a campaign of past Philippine President Roberto Duterte to combat the underlying problem of drug violence. His plans were to go door-to-door and arrest and slash-abdue the drug abusers. They went to 5.6 million homes and arrested 1 million, and of that 1 million, 53,000 were described as drug personnel. An estimated 1.7 million Filipinos were drug users in 2019. That's insane to me. I don't get how people don't take into account how critical this problem is for the country. Drugs can easily take down a country single-handedly. Who wants that? Duterte went on many interviews to address his aggressive approach on his quote-unquote drug war. It's interesting to hear his perspective. It's been just over 100 days since Rodrigo Duterte was sworn in as the 16th President of the Philippines. In that time, thousands of people have been killed in his war on drugs, something he makes no apologies for. You destroy my country, I'll kill you. That's a legitimate thing. If you destroy our young children, I will kill you. That is a very correct statement. There is nothing wrong in trying to preserve the interests of the next generation. The extrajudicial killings have been widely condemned by other world leaders and rights groups. As well as police shootings, there have been vigilante killings, while some people have been caught in the crossfire, including children. So what about the children and the innocent people who have been killed? So will those cases be investigated? Do you promise that? Of course. Let me tell you. This is the law of my land. Here is the police. Here is the gangster. He's armed with an M16. The gangster only has a pistol. But when they meet, they exchange fire. With the police with an M16, it's one burst. And hits 1,000 people there, undetected. That's the criminality of the regime. Foreign policy is also changing quickly under Duterte's leadership. Traditionally strong relations with the United States are strained. And Duterte says he wants a better relationship with China, despite a territorial dispute between the countries in the South China Sea. He's about to go to Beijing, but he says he will not compromise on the disputed reefs and islands that he says belong to the Philippines. Nobody in the constitution allows anybody to give it up. Even the president cannot give it up. Those are our entitlements. This is an island. Everybody, every country in this world is given its own fish pond. That's your fish pond where you get the fish, the shells and everything. You cannot give it up. You can only negotiate to prevent war. Opinion polls suggest the president's approval rating has dropped a little. But he remains a popular leader in a country that elected him to get things done, however controversial they may be. Wayne Hay, Al Jazeera, Manila. I believe it's a good thing that someone has acknowledged the problem, but I don't agree with the violence. I think that encouraging a more peaceful alternative would entice drug abusers to quit. That's why I want to increase the popularity of rehabilitation centers. The third thing has previously stated that it would be too much money to waste, but I believe that actually investing in facilities for rehab will work out better for the future due to influencing the younger generation and helping the older generations out part of the problem. Before I was born, someone I knew got into a problem with drugs in the Philippines. They were lucky to get out of the trouble, especially under the circumstances that was laid under the country. I'm still very lucky to have them in my life, but it could have easily turned out the opposite. My whole family is lucky enough to have them still walking. Would you want that? In that situation, would you want to fear for someone's life day after day? Do you want drugs to control you? The Philippines has earned the begrudging title of the highest rate of methamphetamine usage in East Asia. 2.2% of 16-64 year olds are methamphetamine users. If we want to save this nation from falling into drug control, then we must push for change. The change in promotion of rehab centers. Fortunately, people have already stepped up to the challenge. The universal healthcare law really benefited the Philippines in the context of a drug problem. This allowed drug rehabilitation services to people who use drugs. Volunteers from all over the southern eastern region of Asia have stepped in and partnered with the DOH, DDB, and the UNODC slash other organizations to establish recovery clinics in the Philippine cities. In three years, clinics have enrolled 19% of 22,756 people who use drugs and have helped 91% of them reach rehab. Who doesn't love that? Rehab clinics have steadily been established but at slower rates than needed. Although they help, many will still be reluctant to invest and enroll in these programs. That's why they need assistance. They need people to spread the word. They need people to take notice of the power of drug usage. The Philippines doesn't need violence or guns or killings or murders to solve this problem. No, they need recognition. They need a voice to speak up and establish help and support. Rehab is important and the Philippines needs it the most. Drugs can be stopped if we all talk. Thank you for listening.