Fil-Am Drug Addict-Turned-Counselor Weighs in on PH’s Drug

Rommel Conclara, ABS-CBN News

https://youtu.be/d9YwYRcifv4

VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA – As the death toll in the Philippine war on drugs continues to rise, some people around the world question if this is the right solution to the country’s drug problem.

Filipina-American Sophia Sanchez, for one, doesn’t think so.

“We need to stop those extra-judicial killings in the Philippines which is inhumane and it’s not right for the people,” she said.

Sanchez will be graduating as the first transgender drug and alcohol counselor from Intercoast College in Fairfield, California this week.

She is also a former drug addict—hooked on methamphetamines or what it is commonly known in the Philippines as shabu.

Her habit, she said, started when she was still back home.

“Based on my experience before, it is just like you are in the store or it’s on the same street where you can buy it because you know in the Philippines, it’s not difficult to get drugs in there, especially with teenagers ages 12 and above,” she said.

After a health scare in the United States, Sanchez quit drugs and has been sober for five years.

And now, she has committed herself to helping those who are currently going through drug addiction.

“It’s not about money. It’s about the addiction and a lot of them have concordant illnesses which include mentally ill people.”

Sanchez says that while President Rodrigo Duterte has good intentions to rid the country of drugs, more has to be done.

“It’s because of corruption and poor law enforcement in the Philippines… If we will manage the corruption of the government, I do believe that drugs will be stopped in the Philippines,” she said.

“Proper education and proper training for the law enforcement will give more help to the citizens and will not deal with any kid of human rights violations in the Philippines,” she added.

Following graduation, Sanchez looks to create her own organization in San Francisco to help and educate those in the LGBTQ community who are dealing with drugs and alcohol.

(Source: ABS-CBN.com)