Ronaldo Rivera, the ex-user quoted below at his offices at the rehab program. For Colin Freeman Duterte story. (Photo by Colin Freeman for The National) *** Local Caption *** IMG_1741.JPG
Ronaldo Rivera, the ex-user quoted below at his offices at the rehab program. For Colin Freeman Duterte story. (Photo by Colin Freeman for The National) *** Local Caption *** IMG_1741.JPG
Ronaldo Rivera, the ex-user quoted below at his offices at the rehab program. For Colin Freeman Duterte story. (Photo by Colin Freeman for The National) *** Local Caption *** IMG_1741.JPG
Ronaldo Rivera, the ex-user quoted below at his offices at the rehab program. For Colin Freeman Duterte story. (Photo by Colin Freeman for The National) *** Local Caption *** IMG_1741.JPG

Former addicts say Duterte's war on drugs is working


  • English
  • Arabic

Colin Freeman

Foreign Correspondent

DAVAO, PHILIPPINES // In the controversial war on drugs waged by President Rodrigo Duterte, Ronaldo Rivera is an unlikely ally.

Now 50, he says he smoked his first joint when he was just 12, before moving onto shabu, a cheap form of crystal meth. He got even more addicted during his 20s and 30s, until one day, he was finally caught smoking it in the street.

“I was completely hooked by then,” he remembers. “I even asked the arresting officer if I could just finish my stash before going to the police cells.”

That wasn’t allowed. But otherwise, Mr Rivera got good treatment. After nine days behind bars, he was packed off to the city council’s drug rehab programme, which he credits with keeping him clean for the last 14 years.

Other drug users in his home city of Davao in the Southern Philippines were not so lucky.

The mayor of Davao at that time was none other than Mr Duterte, who used his role to pioneer the hardline anti-drugs strategy that helped win him the presidency last year.

It was here that reports first emerged of Duterte-backed police “death squads”, tasked with ridding Davao of suspected drug users, dealers and other criminals. Between 1998 and 2015, they cleaned up what was then a notoriously crime-plagued city, but in the process, anything up to 1,000 extra-judicial killings (EJK) took place.

Since Mr Duterte began rolling out his anti-drugs strategy nationwide last July, the number of EJKs has rocketed to 7,000 or more, according to human rights groups, who want him investigated by the International Criminal Court.

But while the president’s critics include many drug charities, Mr Rivera, who now works for Davao city council’s rehab programme, is not among them.

Much as he dislikes the killings, which he describes as “collateral damage”, he defends the president’s strategy, believing it will tackle a problem previous governments just ignored.

“If it scares people enough to seek treatment, then it must be good,” he says bluntly.

That it certainly has done. Since Mr Duterte took power, more than 700,000 drug users have formally “surrendered” to the authorities, a process under which they register with local neighbourhood chiefs who then refer them to government-run rehab centres for treatment.

Critics point out that there are not enough rehab centres in the country, much less enough that can provide high standard care.

Mr Rivera says that if other mayors had followed Mr Duterte’s example in Davao, this would not be such a problem in the Philippines. As part of his anti-drug strategy for the city, he also financed what was then one of the Philippines’ only proper rehab programmes.

“It has everything you need - education, assistance, and help after treatment,” Mr Rivera said. “Plus he was doing this kind of thing back when nobody else was bothering at all.”

Many of the addicts now queuing up for treatment are doing so as much out of fear as a desire to kick their drug habits.

But according to Mr Rivera’s colleague Bryan Bajado, a co-ordinator at the city council rehab programme, what might seem unfashionably authoritarian in the West is not necessarily seen as such in the Philippines.

“Does the Philippines need this tough guy strategy? Perhaps so, yes,” he said. “Duterte is like a strict father, he’s tough when people go wrong, and helpful when they make amends. Also, he wouldn’t put ex-drug users like us to head a programme if he didn’t trust us.”

Such arguments are somewhat at odds with the views of the global drug policy establishment, which increasingly leans towards much more liberal approaches, including decriminalising drugs altogether.

Last month, visiting UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial executions, Agnes Callamard, pointedly declared during a drug conference in Manila that “war on drugs” strategies did not work.

In comments that infuriated the government, the Frenchwoman said such approaches nearly always failed, and “risked invigorating the rule of violence rather than the rule of law”.

Mr Duterte replied by suggesting that she should “go on honeymoon” with Carl Hart, an American professor whose studies query evidence that shabu causes brain damage or violent behaviour.

“When I became mayor of Davao City there was always a lot of violence and killing because of shabu,” the president said.

It was a typical blast of rhetoric from Mr Duterte, who has long used his “voice of the common man” approachto speak unpalatable truths to elites.

It accounts for much of his 75 per cent approval ratings - and possibly also his recent invitation  to the White House from Donald Trump, who is understood to approve of his drug policies.

With or without friends in high places, though, Mr Duterte may also find comfort from the fact that some of those who now back his drug war are themselves former addicts.

For as easy as it is for him to quarrel with visiting drug experts himself, it may be more effective in the long run to have ex-users doing his arguing for him.

“Other people are entitled to their opinion,” added Mr Bajado. “But the majority of our people are in agreement with this strategy, and we think it’s working.”

foreign.desk@thenational.ae

Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

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NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Agreements%20on%20energy%20and%20water%20supply%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Applied%20service%20fees%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20data%20and%20information%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Prohibition%20of%20service%20disconnections%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customer%20complaint%20process%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Management%20of%20debts%20and%20customers%20in%20default%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Services%20provided%20to%20people%20of%20determination%20and%20home%20care%20customers%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes. 

The trip

From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)

Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder

Gearbox  Nine-speed automatic

Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm

Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km

Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

LIVERPOOL SQUAD

Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Joe Gomez, Adrian, Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Andy Lonergan, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andy Robertson, Divock Origi, Curtis Jones, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams

Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

HAJJAN
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Abu%20Bakr%20Shawky%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3EStarring%3A%20Omar%20Alatawi%2C%20Tulin%20Essam%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al-Hasawi%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Karwaan

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala

Director: Akarsh Khurana

Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar

Rating: 4/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

India team for Sri Lanka series

Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.

T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Diriyah%20project%20at%20a%20glance
%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%0D%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Dengue%20fever%20symptoms
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EHigh%20fever%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EIntense%20pain%20behind%20your%20eyes%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESevere%20headache%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENausea%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EVomiting%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ESwollen%20glands%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3ERash%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIf%20symptoms%20occur%2C%20they%20usually%20last%20for%20two-seven%20days%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
Gothia Cup 2025

4,872 matches 

1,942 teams

116 pitches

76 nations

26 UAE teams

15 Lebanese teams

2 Kuwaiti teams

The figures behind the event

1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew

2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show

3) 1,000 social distancing stickers

4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.