December 6, 2011
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Drug mules: should we spend money to free them?
The Philippine government is directing concerned agencies to "exhaust all other diplomatic means" to rescue Filipino drug mules from being executed in countries where they were caught (news report, here).
This is not the first time for the Philippine government to be so concerned with its drug mules. Early this year, three Filipinos were executed in China for carrying into the country illegal substances, more commonly, heroine. The Philippine government spent millions sending dignitaries to appeal for the release of these so-called victims.Such a heroic act by government, or is it?
Drug mules are drug mules, no matter how we look at it. And then we argue, but they were tricked into carrying those bags with kilos of heroine in them. Assuming that this argument is credible, thing is, who would be stupid enough to carry the bag of a complete stranger without knowing what's inside it? Even if its your friend who asked you to bring their bag through immigration, as a responsible traveler, you have the right to know what is inside that bag, after all, its your head that's at stake.
If these drug mules are victims, they are victims of government neglect.
It is hypocritical that my country declares that carrying illegal substances into the country is a crime punishable to the fullest extent of the law and yet condones Filipinos who commit the same crime in other countries.
Thing is, these drug mules, they know exactly what they were doing and they knew the risk of their actions. So, should we condone such acts? What does this say of our government? That we promote and sympathize with drug dealers?
Hell, no.
Truth of the matter is, the Philippine government is in the hot seat because the reason why my people have permitted themselves to be instruments of such unconscionable acts is because government is unable to provide its basic needs, on top of that is relevant employment that could address poverty.
So, what does our government do?
Demand foreign governments to be lenient with our drug mules because after all they were forced into their situation by poverty, which my country's leaders in the likes of the Haciendero Cojuangco-Aquinos, refuses to address, as they themselves bathe in their millions of blood money and acres of land, grabbed from poor farmers.
No. Let this be a statement to our leaders that YOU are the reason why these poor people are being executed in other countries. YOU are the reason why innocent and kind-hearted Filipinos have allowed themselves to be drug couriers.
Its time for policy change. Address poverty, address unemployment, address hunger, and this country will no longer be sending drug mules to other countries.
Here is an eye-opening video by Al Jazeera TV on the Filipino drug mule industry, it's a 25-minute documentary:
UPDATE:
December 8, 2011: Today, China executed the fourth drug mule from the Philippines this year. He was arrested on September 13, 2008 for trying to smuggle into China 1.5 kilos of heroin.
December 12, 2011: The Philippine government promises to help all Filipinos facing drug-charges in other countries. In an interview over at local station dzRB, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said, “Anywhere a Filipino citizen is situated we will give assistance to them ... (The embassies will) start defending the Filipinos that are accused of any wrongdoing from the very start.”
The Philippine's Department of Foreign Affairs have recorded the following drug-related cases involving Filipinos:
76 Filipinos in Italy;
70 in Saudi Arabia;
44 in Brazil;
38 in Peru;
24 in Thailand;
20 in Hong Kong;
17 in Macau;
11 in Spain;
9 in India;
8 in France;
8 in Iran;
7 in Indonesia;
6 in Ecuador, and
5 in South Korea.For more on this report, check this out.
(Source: Interaksyon and GMANews | Video credit: Al Jazeera | Photo credit: Student Services Direct)
Comments (14)
Hmm, hindi ako masyadong nag-a-agree.
Oo, the government should address poverty and unemployment. Pero yung tao na nag desisyon na maging drug mule, desisyon niya yun, diba? I don't think dapat sisihan ang government dun.
Bakit ako at ikaw? I mean, nandito din naman tayo sa Pilipinas, nararanasan din natin yang poverty, yang second-rate education, yung hirap maghanap ng trabaho, pero at the end of the day, pinili natin na magpersevere, magtiyaga, at humanap ng magandang trabaho.
In any profit or debt economy there is no such path that does not lead to eventual resource exhaustion and self destruction. All the while the blame goes to anyone and everyone who makes an attempt to do something sustainable.
Al Jazeera has become rather an interesting news source. They cover things in ways other media outlets don't in my region. Russia Today is good sometimes too.
I don't think the gov't should work to free mules in other countries. I agree with you. Fixing domestic problems should come first - specifically when the suffering person hasn't provoked their own bad situation!
Drug are such a horrid problem all over the world. Youn gkids here are so addicted that they get so old before their time. Good luck to the govt catching the drug mules.
It's an ethical issue. I once met a drug dealer in New Mexico, so I sat down and talked with him and asked him if he ever thought that what he does was unethical. He was a black 17 y/o and had his 16 y/o white girlfriend living with him. He said that he never sold to kids and worked mostly as a middle man negotiating price and mueling it across the checkpoints. He dropped out of high school because black people in New Mexico are discriminated against by the Hispanics (mostly). This was the only work he could find and his 16 y/o girlfriend was being repeatedly raped by her father, but the police wouldn't do anything about it, so they ran away. She had to go to high school and wasn't allowed to miss school. She was a quiet, but pleasant girl with manners... and for what she went through, I was impressed by her social ability to be charming in a lady like way. That conversation totally changed my life and sometimes we have to resort to doing things that we don't want to do to survive, but he did have a point. He said atleast in his line of work, no one stole from anyone. These were farmers who brought in a crop, who sold it and it was being consumed from all social classes. The only thing was... you can't pay taxes on it or you are busted. You can buy a tax stamp, but obviously the police will find you.
In fact this was brought up on the news last month. If marijauna was made legal...1/3 of our US debt would be paid off in the form of taxes. Of course I know enough people from the old days and it does kill brain cells. Ah...ethics. Governments don't have eithics anymore.
@Rainboxx - may punto ka doon, I just find it a waste of money na magpadala tayong ng emissaries to stop or at least commute the sentence when pwede naman sana magawan ng paraan ng gobyerno na di na kelangang magiibang bansa mga kabs natin...
And I agree with you, in the end, its all about the choice that we, as individuals, make...
@jasonwl - that is the sad reality.... you yearn for development, you are a terrorist
@oceanstarr - true... I only see RT on YouTube but from what I've seen so far, I'm liking it...
@Grannys_Place - Me really don't like that government is protecting drug mules... sends a bad message... and I agree, drugs do make people look older... good thing we don't do it
@hesacontradiction - ganja is herbal
everyone of us has a reason for doing what we do, be it acceptable by society or not... but the thing is, are we happy with our decision? or is happiness fleeting?
@tribong_upos -
I don't have a tv - we get all our news off the net. It's the only way to get varying viewpoints!
I saw a movie about how lucrative being a drug mule can be. It was called Maria Full of Grace. The dealers threw around so much money that it was stupid for a poor girl to say no.
@oceanstarr - You have a point... I guess that's the beauty of alternative media and the net's role in encouraging the propagation of such
We just have to be wary of what we read though 
@godfatherofgreenbay - true, that is why many cash-strapped people would take the risk... for their family... sad story really...
Comments are closed.