Torture, abuse rampant in Philippine drug detention centers — Amnesty International

MANILA, Philippines — Individuals detained on drug charges in the country are subjected to torture, degrading treatment and other severe human rights violations, a report of the human rights group Amnesty International said.

The group said this in a 68-page report released on Thursday, November 28, saying that individuals under “rehabilitation” at government-run drug treatment and rehabilitation centers experience abuses, where “treatment programs” are reportedly punitive rather than therapeutic.

According to the report, individuals under rehabilitation are subjected to non-evidence-based rehabilitation methods, mandatory drug testing and harsh punishments even for minor infractions.

“Drug detention centers are disguised as facilities offering treatment and rehabilitation. In reality, they are places of arbitrary detention where people suffer serious human rights violations that continue even after their release,” Jerrie Abella, Amnesty International’s campaigner in the Philippines, said in a statement. 

The release of the report coincided with renewed focus during legislative hearings on abuses committed under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.

“While it is crucial for lawmakers to investigate President Duterte’s role and others' potential involvement in crimes against humanity, the hidden abuses within drug detention centers demand immediate action,” Abella said.

Despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s promise to shift to a public health and human rights-based approach to drug issues, the report noted that punitive policies remain in place, continuing to criminalize and stigmatize drug users.

On November 12, the government announced a shift in its drug war strategy, focusing on the "supply side" by targeting "big guns" and suppliers rather than drug users.

RELATED: Marcos admin switches gears on drug war: Target suppliers, not users

Amnesty International said that many detention facilities are located near police or military bases, where detainees experience physical and psychological abuse. 

In one instance, a detainee reported being tortured by police to force a confession of drug use.

He was beaten with a wooden stick, his