Senator Criticizes Distribution of Syringes to Drug Users in Kamagayan

Senator Vicente Sotto III criticized the government’s move distributing free syringes to injectable drug users in Cebu City as it’s way to minimize the spread of HIV/AIDS cases.

The Department of Health (DOH) proposed the two-year study started last year after the health officials have learned that one of the reasons of the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases is the sharing of needles among injectable drug users, particularly at Barangay Kamagayan.

“We have a problem. It is as if, it is exempted from the operation of our criminal laws on drugs,” said Sotto, who used to head the Senate Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

Sotto explained that the so-called Harm Reduction Program is a western-minded way of thinking or a strategy that seeks to minimize the harm done to others.

On October 8, 2014, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) passed Resolution No. 298, entitled “Approving the Proposed Operations Research on Community- Based Comprehensive Services for People Who Inject Drugs (PWID) in Barangay Kamagayan, Cebu City and the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) that will formulate its implementing guidelines.”

The Cebu City HIV/AIDS Registry indicates that the primary cause of HIV transmission in Cebu City has shifted from sexual transmission in 2008 to injecting drug use starting 2010 because several injectable drug users shared needles.

The DDB approves the implementation of the two-year scientific and medical study of the DOH, Philippine National AIDS Council, the Local Government of Cebu City and Population Services International and funded by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, to assess the effectiveness of a community-based comprehensive services for people who inject drugs in Barangay Kamagayan.

Barangay Kamagayan, situated in the heart of Cebu City, has been considered a safe zone for injectable drug users because there are no arrests or apprehensions of the violators of Section 12 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as Possession of Equipment, instrument, Apparatus and other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs.

Sotto claimed that the DDB Resolution is void and unenforceable because it is in conflict with the express mandate of Section 12 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

The law provides that the possession of Equipment, Instrument, Apparatus and other Paraphernalia for Dangerous Drugs is punishable by imprisonment ranging from six months and one day to four years or a fine ranging from P10,000 to P50,000.

Syringe-sharing spread HIV/AIDS cases, including other kinds of diseases, from user to user through the reuse of syringes contaminated with infected blood.

According to Sotto that the Harm Reduction strategy is, in reality, a pro-illegal drugs strategy, saying “this is the wrong approach in our society, in our culture. What message are we trying to send? Indonesia had just conveyed a strong message against drug trafficking, and here we are, with as much drug dependents as Indonesia might have, trying to use the soft approach like western nations do?”

Although the Harm Reduction Program in Cebu City is being opposed by the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), but Mayor Michael Rama is supportive on it.