#RealNumbersPH: Year 2 to focus on recovering druggies

FILE: Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said Thursday that in line with this, the “#RealNumbersPH: Year 2” initiative will be launched at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Multi-Purpose Hall in Camp Crame, Quezon City on May 29. (PNA PHOTO)

MANILA — A year after #RealNumbersPH was launched on May 2, 2017, government agencies tapped to consolidate the numbers on the anti-drug campaign will release a new report offering accurate numbers on drug personalities who have made progress as far as their reformation and rehabilitation are concerned.

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said Thursday that in line with this, the “#RealNumbersPH: Year 2” initiative will be launched at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Multi-Purpose Hall in Camp Crame, Quezon City on May 29.

The agencies tapped to lead the #RealNumbersPH campaign include the PNP, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Bureau of Customs, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the PCOO and its line agencies.

Banaag said #RealNumbersPH’s second year would zoom in on the “positive” aspect of the campaign against illegal drugs, especially on the rehabilitation of recovering drug dependents and the development of cases of those who surrendered under the government’s Oplan Tokhang.

“In Year 1, we talked about operations, the enforcement side. In Year 2, we’re going to be more positive about what happened to the persons who were arrested. What happened to those arrested? Were they rehabilitated? Were they prosecuted? Were they convicted?” she said.

Banaag described the initiative as a “work-in-progress” but noted that the report they would release aims to help policymakers to be more aware of the drug war’s current situation.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to attend the launch of “#RealNumbersPH: Year 2”, together with PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar, PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde, DILG Officer-in-Charge Eduardo Año, National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Catalino Cuy, and other member agencies of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).

The event will also be an opportunity for reformed drug surrenderers nationwide to share their stories and inspire struggling drug personalities to follow their example.

“The problem on illegal drugs does not only affect people on the street. It may affect even people who are well-off. It does not exempt anyone, so anyone can get addicted to illegal drugs. But what’s important is that you accept that there’s a problem and you can freely talk about it and inspire other people to be better persons,” Banaag said.

Testimonials will be given by representatives of the local governments of Bataan, Tarlac, and Ifugao; father Felloni Falorin, and actor JM de Guzman, among others.

There will also be performances by both de Guzman and actor-singer Piolo Pascual.
The winners in the #RealNumbersPH Photo Contest, which aims to show how the drug campaign has helped improve the lives of drug surrenderers, will also be announced.

For more information, visit www.facebook/realnumbersph.