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From Terrorism to Compassionate Pragmatism (aka Harm Reduction) in the Philippines
Patt Denning, PhD & Jeannie Little, LCSW: Co-founders of HRTC
After almost a decade of horrific human rights violations in the Philippines that featured the extra-judicial killings of thousands of people who sell and use drugs, Harm Reduction is finally being promoted under the auspices of the United Nations Joint Programme on Human Rights in the Philippines. Long-advocated for by our dear colleague and fierce harm reduction warrior Inez Feria of NoBox Philippines (https://www.nobox.ph/) and increasingly hoped-for by a core group of workers and leaders in the health and legal fields, harm reduction therapy is being piloted for the next year in seven local government regions.
In addition to thousands of murders, the previous presidential administration created a national “list” of people who use drugs. Anyone, absolutely anyone, can put your name on the list by filling out a half-page form accusing you of being a person who uses drugs, a form that includes no request for evidence of the claim. Some people on the list are arrested and charged with a crime. Some are referred for involuntary assessment. Most are forced into 6 months of drug treatment in programs often staffed by at least 50% law enforcement. If clients leave treatment early, they can be jailed. State-sponsored terrorism in the form of surveillance, forced treatment, and punishment are the foundations of treatment in the Philippines. Until now.