Bato laments rise of drug use on social media
February 19, 2025
BATO LAMENTS RISE OF DRUG USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa lamented the current drug situation in the country as he thanked Manila's barangay chiefs for supporting his reelection bid aimed at fighting illegal drugs and criminality.
In an event in Manila on Sunday, Dela Rosa thanked more than 160 barangay captains from the 5th District of Manila for their courage in supporting the candidacy of Dela Rosa and other PDP candidates.
"Maraming salamat sa inyong pagharap sa amin. 'Yung iba talaga, sabihan na lang, "Sir, sir! Huwag kang pumunta dito sa aming lugar, Sir! Baka ma-bad shot kami sa Malacanang, Sir! Maawa ka sa amin."
"'Yung iba, gano'n 'yung ibang mga local government, takot na takot. 'Ayaw namin, Sir, na ma-suspend. Kaya 'yung aming kwan nalang... Siguruhin na lang namin, Sir, na kayo ay nasa puso namin,'" he said.
The former chief of the Philippine National Police expressed concern now that drug users are becoming more audacious and even post their activities on social media.
"Alam niyo, nakakalungkot po ang nangyayari ngayon, tingnan ninyo, everyday sa social media, makita ninyo, very proud itong mga adik. Bina-vlog pa nila 'yung kanilang paggagamit ng shabu. Nakita niyo 'yon? Kahit saan-saan, nagkakalat, gumagamit ng shabu! Ang yabang nila, pinagyayabang nila to the whole world na gumagamit silang shabu," the lawmaker lamented.
Dela Rosa said that such state of affairs, if allowed to go on, would make people think that drug use is the "new normal."
"Anong napakasamang implikasyon nito? Itong mga tao na ito, akala nila, 'yung paggamit ng shabu ngayon ay 'yan na 'yung sinasabi natin ngayon na new normal. Normal na 'yan, legal na ang paggamit ng shabu dahil very proud silang ipakitasa buong mundo na sila'y gumagamit ng shabu," he said.
He added that this would have a bad influence on children, especially as there is increasing social media presence of drug use.
"Ano ngayon ang maitatanim sa utak ng kabataan? "Uy, sikat pala ngayon kapag gumagamit ka ng shabu!" Kumikita ka pa, may content ka, content creator ka, yumayaman ka dahil maraming views, kumikita ka. At iisipin ng mga bata, natural lang 'yan, normal lang 'yan. So anong magiging kinabukasan ng Pilipinas? Wala na! Lugmok tayo dito sa problema natin sa illegal drugs. I don't know kung saan tayo pupunta dito. Bakit gano'n ang nangyari?" said the senator.
Dela Rosa also appealed to the barangay captains to help in his reelection campaign so he could push for the passage of the death penalty for high-level drug traffickers.
He said that during his talks with convicted traffickers when he was the director general of the Bureau of Corrections, he learned that the lack of death penalty, unlike in countries like China, Malaysia, Indonesia, or Singapore, was conducive to drug trafficking.
"Kahit na mahuli kami, makulong kami, makonbikto kami, tuloy pa rin yung pagpapatakbo namin sa aming drug business sa labas ng Bilibid. Tuloy pa rin dahil hindi na kami takot na mahuli dahil nakakulong na kami. Hindi na kami takot na makasuhan dahil konbiktado na kami. Protektado pa kami dito sa loob," he recalled.
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