War on Drugs in the Philippines: Evaluating Fear Appeals as Antidote to Continued Drug Use

Abstract

Objectives. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of fear-based strategies on the decisions of Filipino drug users to surrender to authorities under the Philippine government's anti-drug policy. It also examined the influence of these scare tactics on the discontinuance of drug use among drug surrenderers. The fear appeals included community shaming and threats of imprisonment, torture or death under Oplan Tokhang launched by the Philippine government in 2016.

Methods. A combination of survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews was conducted with 56 surrenderers from selected communities in Marikina City, Metropolitan Manila. These individuals participated in a series of communitybased activities, including dance therapy (referred to as ‘Zumba’), Bible study and other religious activities, seminars on the dangers of drugs, and livelihood training programs. Readiness to change and levels of self-efficacy were measured after several months of participating. The effectiveness of fear appeals was further evaluated through actual drug testing.

Results. The results indicated that 82.1% of the 56 drug users voluntarily surrendered to authorities while the rest claimed to have been pressured by family, friends, police, religious persons, or local officials. The primary motivations for surrender included fears of being killed or jailed, and a desire for rehabilitation. Readiness to change was generally high, but levels of self-efficacy were mixed. Out of the 56 drug surrenderers, only 37 underwent drug testing, where 40.5% tested positive even after months of participating in the community rehabilitation program.

Conclusion and Recommendation. The findings showed that scare tactics were effective in encouraging or forcing drug users to surrender to local authorities. However, their effectiveness in preventing continued drug use was inconclusive. Structural weaknesses in community rehabilitation policies and programs were identified. Over time, the initial fear-inducing impact of the scare tactics diminished as surrenderers became desensitized. Recommendations for enhancing the efficacy of the government’s anti-drug campaign were provided.