Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2005
Source: Sunstar Davao (Philippines)
Copyright: 2005 Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1991
Note:  also listed for feedback
Author: BRQ
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Summary+Execution (Summary Execution)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Davao+Death+Squad (Davao Death Squad)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Philippines

FEAR OF DEATH BUNGLES PROGRAM FOR DRUG USERS

THE threat of death by motorcycle-riding vigilantes is stopping drug
dependents who underwent rehabilitation from seeking after-care
services, a Department of Health (DOH) 11 officer said.

As a result, the full cycle of the drug recovery program is not
completed.

Of the 145 recovering dependents, or those already released from the
center, 25 have not been reporting for after care.

"There are 25 recovering drug dependents who are not reporting to the
After Care Program because they're afraid of being killed," After Care
Officer Rustum Fanugao Jr. of the DOH 11 said in the weekly Kapihan sa
PIA forum.

According to Fanugao they have not seen nor heard from these 25 since
they were released.

In Sun.Star's interaction with some gang members, it was learned that
there is a prevailing belief among these gang members that being
enlisted for rehabilitation serves as a tracking device that endangers
their lives.

More so if it's for after care, citing the incidents where former drug
dependents were killed after undergoing rehabilitation.

Fanugao admitted that there were three killed among the 145
released.

"One was killed after six months of being released, after two months
from there another was killed and after one month the third was
killed," Fanugao said.

But, Fanugao believes the reason why the three were killed is that
they returned to their illegal vice, which is why they became targets
for the so-called vigilantes.

The After Care Program is a mandatory program for all drug dependents
who undergone rehabilitation at the Davao City Treatment and
Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents, explained Fanugao.

This is because it is easy for former dependents to return to their
vice once released from rehabilitation and exposed back to the
environment that enticed them to try the drugs in the first place.

Fanugao said that out of the 145 recovering drug dependents who
undergone rehabilitation in their Center, 38 percent had a relapse.

"Relapse, meaning balik sa bisyo," he pointed out.

According to Fanugao the identified reasons for relapse during the
After Care Program are individual problems, uncontrollable craving and
using of drugs, family wherein there is lack of emotional support from
family problems, lack of employment opportunities and the community
these recovering drug dependents are living.

"Kung ang environment ganoon pa rin conducive sa drugs, so babalik
sila," Fanugao said.

There are five components of the after care program namely medical,
psychiatric, social, economic, and spiritual services.

DOH Chief Health Operations Division Socorro de Gracia, who was also
one of the guests in the forum, said that prevention through awareness
is still the best way to fight drug abuse.

"They abuse drugs to escape problems. They see drugs as a refuge in
their problems," she adding that this perception should be removed
from those susceptible to experimenting on drugs.

According to DOH chief, they are also trying to address the livelihood
problem of the former drug dependents in order to enable them to find
a new means of livelihood outside illegal drugs.

"We are trying to address, maybe in a year or two on how to go about
it," de Gracia said.

Meanwhile, Fanugao noted that of the 145 recovering dependents, 88
percent are from poor families and only 12 percent are from well-off
families. 
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