Stiffer penalties against drug pushing sought

Thursday, 26 May 2011 09:21

Members of drug syndicates who are using Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) as drug couriers in their illegal activity will get life imprisonment under a bill seeking to amend the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Rep. Mark Villar (Lone District, Las Piñas), author of House Bill 4536, said international drug syndicates are operating in the Philippines because they can easily circumvent the law.

According to Villar, Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act only imposes 12 to 20 years imprisonment and a fine of not more than P500,000 for illegal drug activity.

Villar said this is also the reason why drug syndicates are using OFWs as their drug couriers. "OFWs are vulnerable to syndicates who could use them not only to deliver dangerous drugs but also controlled substances and essential chemicals," he said.

The bill imposes life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million to any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall sell, trade, give away to another, or transport any dangerous drugs, including any and all species of opium poppy regardless of the quantity and purity involved or shall act as a broker in any such transactions.

"This bill hopes to deter the illegal drug traffickers from victimizing OFWs by imposing the maximum penalty of life imprisonment to death and at the same time underscoring our government's seriousness at giving protection to our OFWs," Villar said.

Villar said there are 630 Filipinos languishing in jails in Asia, United States and Middle East for allegedly acting as drug couriers of high-profile international drug syndicates.

"The country has witnessed how the government requested for the reprieve of the death sentence imposed on three Filipinos who were allegedly used as drug mules. Unfortunately, while the reprieve was granted, the same was only temporary," Villar said.

"These are not mere isolated cases considering that it had been reported that there are 205 Filipinos imprisoned in China for allegedly acting as drug mules," Villar said.

Villar said that it is safe to assume that some of them are OFWs who have been unwittingly used by drug syndicates as drug mules. "Most of these OFWs were merely forced by circumstance to leave their loved ones and look for job opportunities abroad," he said.

Under the bill, the sale, trading, dispensation, delivery and distribution of any dangerous drug and or controlled substances that transpired within one hundred meters from the school shall be prohibited. Violators face the maximum penalty of a life sentence.