UNDERSECRETARY Clarence Paul Oaminal, vice chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, said that “guerilla warfare” in the anti-drug campaign is the key to winning the war against drugs.

Noting that the country is celebrating Nov. 16-20 as the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week, Oaminal stressed that there are a number of barangays that have been affected by drugs thus the need for a counter-insurgency type of campaign intended to win the hearts of the populace.

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He said local government units, allied government agencies, academe, civic groups and other concerned societies must by now be prepared for the observance of the drug abuse prevention and control week with the theme: “Kilos Pamayanan! Sa droga patuloy na lumaban.”

The local government units and other government agencies must avoid employing the old habit of observing drug abuse with grandiose rallies and seminars and instead conduct unconventional activities, Oaminal said.

The government must now go to where the problem is, meaning lectures and pulong-pulong (caucus) must be conducted in the area where there are drug users and pushers and personally convince them to stop using drugs, he opined.

This is the only way of hitting the jugular veins of the syndicate, he said, adding that there is a need to stop the users from using drugs, and the best way is talking directly to the users, their families and neighborhood.

Guerilla warfare type of anti drug campaign is low maintenance yet effective, Oaminal opined.

He theorized that with warfare, there is no need to spend for expensive venues, sound systems and food for the participants and speakers.

The battlefield in the war against drugs is the barangays, puroks, sitios, families and person to person, Oaminal said, adding that you don’t solve it by talking only to the non-users, professional groups and responsible students and civic groups but to the very source of the problem, the users and pushers and those youth at risk of becoming drug users.

Furthermore, Oaminal said that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) plays an important role in the observance as it has supervisory control over the local government units.

Oaminal is encouraging the ordinary citizens to link up with government agencies to come up with relevant programs and avoid coming up with costly and ineffective activities.

The Sangguniang Kabataan should likewise take an active role in its observance rather than just remain as fence sitter in the war against drugs, he said.

The Filipino people in general must be vigilant as we have to continue fighting the war with the end in mind of ending and winning the war against drugs, he said.

Oaminal on the other hand, renews his call for political candidates in all positions to have themselves undergo drug test and have it attached in their certificate of candidacy.

He is set to send formal communication to the country’s major political parties and challenge them to make it a party stand to require all its candidates to undergo drug testing.

Last year, the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional a part of section 36 of Republic Act 9165 of requiring candidates to undergo drug testing.
However, Oaminal is of the view that there is no ruling that would prohibit the candidate from having himself undergo drug test.

“This is the least our candidates could show to our countrymen. If we have made it a public policy of having our high school and college students undergo random drug testing, is it not ironical that our would be leaders refuse and be exempted from such policy?” Ominal asked.

Oaminal is set to hold a candidates’ forum with drugs as an issue.*