[R13] Ciocchini and Lamcheck: War on Drugs

Reforms aren’t enough, without addressing class inequalities.

Bakit mabagal ang hustisya sa Pilipinas?

[1] Pounds and Checks

[2] Dangerous Drugs Act Cases

Dangerous Drugs Act
Began in 2016 when Duterte took office.
Characterized by widespread extra-judicial killings (EJKs) carried out by death squads.
“Planted evidence”
RA 9165, Section 15: You need to be rehabilitated if you use drugs
RA 9165, Section: If you’re in possession of drugs, you’re sentenced in life imprisonment

Drug overuse is a medical problem, but in some countries, it’s considered as a criminal case.

Plea Bargaining

A legal deal where the accused pleads guilty to a lesser offense in exchange for a lighter penalty.
Initially banned under R.A. 9165, Section 23 to prevent collusion between prosecutors and drug offenders.
Legal professionals justify plea bargaining by saying:
- It helps correct drug behavior.
- It opens access to rehabilitation and probation.
- It’s a “favorable disposition” since the penalty is lower.
Problems:
- [1] It hides police abuse and fabricated cases
  - Alam ng mga legal professionals na maraming evidence ang planted
  - This normalizes mass arrests and abuses
  - Worsens corruption
  - They feared for their lives since this might make them look like they’re siding with the drug users
- [2] Assumes all accused are guilty drug users
  - Moral politics
  - These lawyers perceive their clients as morally corrupt, criminals, and drug addicts, who are in need of rehabilitation
  - Plea bargaining is believed to offer justice by:
    - Punishing the guilty (even if not proven).
    - Giving them a chance to reform.
  - It's presented as better than EJKs (extrajudicial killings).
  - But it still reinforces the idea that:
    - The poor are guilty by default.
    - They are morally defective and in need of correction.
  - Your class position is taken into account

PAO officers

Is the law objective? Fair? Not necessarily. THE LAW IS BIASED.