Detainees sleep on the floor as they await processing during the operations targeting drug personalities, persons with warrant of arrest and violators of city ordinances of the PNP Eastern Police District covering the area of Pasig, Marikina, Mandaluyong and San Juan City at the EPD Headquarters in Pasig. 198 people were arrested during the operations.INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
MANILA 鈥� The government is looking at sending drug dependents to islands where they will undergo rehabilitation, according to Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial.
鈥淎mong the things being considered now is to bring drug users who surrender to authorities to government-owned islands,鈥� said Ubial in a press briefing.
She said the idea was recommended by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa during their recent Cabinet meeting.
鈥淲e will provide them with the needed support because for us drug users or addicts are victims. They are the victims of drug pushers,鈥� Ubial said.
Asked whether she was referring to islands that are the subject of dispute between the Philippines and China, Ubial said: 鈥淲e can now send them there because it鈥檚 now ours,鈥� she said in jest.
鈥淭hese are islands owned by the government. At least there, we can easily secure them if we take to these places,鈥� Ubial added.
But she stressed that the place where the drug dependents would be brought would not matter.
鈥淔or us in the DOH, whether it鈥檚 in an island or not, we鈥檒l do the same thing. We鈥檒l do the same approach as far as providing them with rehabilitation services is concerned. We will train the people whom the PNP will assign in the area, it鈥檚 just technical assistance on our part, we won鈥檛 be involved in the operations,鈥� Ubial explained.
According to the health chief, they intend to standardize the assessment form they use for drug dependents who surrender to the authorities.
鈥淚f they have criminal liability, the police will handle them, BJMP, but they will still be given rehabilitation services. Another category is drug dependents who are not regular users or experimental users.聽 We will do community-based intervention for them, brief advice and continuous monitoring,鈥� said Ubial.
According to Ubial, the DOH is still assessing if they can subject to drug test all of those who will fall under the community-based program, saying it will depend on their supplies and the number of patients.
Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial. (INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO)
鈥淚f it鈥檚 only 41,000, which is the number given to us last Monday by PNP Chief Bato dela Rosa, we can do it. But if their number reaches to more than 200,000, we might find it difficult to subject all of them to drug tests,鈥� said Ubial.
鈥淏ut we also have 20 drug rehabilitation centers under the DOH and local government units that can accommodate around 5,000 patients nationwide,鈥� she added.
Some of the local government units are volunteering facilities that they will convert into temporary rehabilitation facilities.
鈥淲e can immediately train people the LGUs will hire to manage these facilities. We have immediate mobilization for another 5,000 patients,鈥� she said. 聽SFM/rga