Today, more than 20 Filipinos are detained in the San Vittore Prison in Milan due to drug-related cases, and this number is still on the rise.
Under the Italian law, administrative sanctions for the personal possession of drugs entail jail time from one to three months for less dangerous drugs and 12 months prison time for those caught in possession of more dangerous drugs, according to a report by ABS-CBN.
There are no sanctions for first-time offenders, although they will receive a warning from the government and a formal request asking them to refrain from dealing and using drugs. Some law offenders may also volunteer to undergo drug rehabilitation.
Just recently, a video uploaded in the Facebook page of Italian television program Le Lene depicting a Filipino named ‘Ferdie’ went viral. In the video, Ferdie was shown holding drug paraphernalia and smoking drugs. Aside from him, other Filipinos in the video narrated how Pinoys are being used to smuggle and sell drugs. They also detailed how widespread the drug business in Milan is.
The video gives a stark face to Filipinos residing in Italy who, despite drug ordinances in place, still choose to get involved in drug dealings.
The viral video gained irksome remarks from fellow Filipinos working in Italy.
“Nakakahiya na tuloy maging Pilipino. Sirang-sira na ang image ng mga Pinoy dahil sa mga ganitong klase ng tao,” Marky Gabriel, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Milan, said.
“Pati ang walang malay na Pilipinong nagtatrabaho dito ay nadadamay. Ayusin naman natin ang imahen ng mga Pilipino sa Milano,” Gary Crisostomo added.
Drug awareness campaign in the UAE
In the UAE, more stringent measures are being undertaken to curb drug use and instill in the public drug awareness.
UAE authorities have a foolproof, two-pronged strategy when it comes to combating drugs: nonstop vigilance and technology upgrade to deter narcotics trade and sustained efforts to raise drug awareness.
Col Saeed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Federal Drug Control Department of the Ministry of Interior, stated that the UAE has opened a new center for treatment and rehabilitation for drug addicts.
Al Suwaidi noted that in 2017, “Law enforcement agencies in the UAE had achieved remarkable progress and curbed about 85 per cent of drug activity in the country. The UAE Cabinet had also adopted a similar initiative to reduce the flow of drugs in the UAE through coordination among law enforcement agencies, customs, border guards, and coastlines guards.”
