Examining the Effects of Drug-Related Killings on Philippine Conditional Cash Transfer Beneficiaries in Metro Manila, 2016–2017

Abstract

Is the Philippine War on Drugs a 'War on the Poor'? Focusing on beneficiaries of the Philippine Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program as the most legible cohort of poor, we examine the effects of the anti-narcotics campaign on impoverished families in Metro Manila from April 2016 to December 2017.From field validation and interviews with families affected by drug-related killings (DRKs), we find that at least 333 victims out of 1,827 identifiable DRK cases in Metro Manila during the study period were CCT beneficiaries. These are extremely conservative figures since field validation did not saturate all cities in Metro Manila and does not include deaths after December 2017 or poor families who are not CCT beneficiaries.The findings illustrate that DRKs negatively affect CCT beneficiaries and their families. Most victims were breadwinners, leading to a decrease in household income. The reduced available income and the social stigma of having a drug-related death in the family often cause children beneficiaries of the CCT program to drop out of school. Widowed parents often find new partners, leaving the children with paternal grandmothers. DRKs are often bookended by other hazards such as flooding, fires, and home demolitions. The direct effects of these DRKs, compounded with disasters and other socio-economic shocks, traumatizes CCT families, erodes social cohesion, and pushes them further into poverty. We conclude with recommendations for the design of support packages to mitigate untoward effects on families, particularly single parent households.

Confronting the Philippines' war on drugs: A literature review

“…Among the social and collateral damages of the WOD (De Villa, 2022; Tugade, 2019) that scholars described was the resulting poverty and social stigma suffered by victims' families (Ofreneo et al, 2022;Pangilinan et al, 2020). Still other impacts include that on public health (Arquiza-Legarde, 2023); COVID response (Hapal, 2021;M.…”

“…7 Some call for reforms, such as for the government to mitigate the effects of the WOD on families (Pangilinan et al, 2020) and connect them with mental health services (Yamada et al, 2023), do not fall under 'alternatives' in this sense. 8 Lasco and Yarcia (2022) point out that even Vice President Leni Robredo, the top political contender against the Marcos-Duterte power bloc in the 2022 Presidential election, vowed to pursue an 'intensified' anti-drug campaign minus the killings but with scaled up rehabilitation based on a 'public health' approach.…”

“…Thus, people's desire for positive change leads to policies that are possibly ineffective and deeply erode democracy. However, the populism explanation is clearly limited given that the WOD does not even purport to achieve anti‐elite outcomes and is in fact glaringly anti‐poor; that is, the poor is the main target of the operations (Pangilinan et al., 2020). Moreover, adding and killing the few powerful and well‐connected local politicians on the drug watchlist is an opportunity for those in power to eliminate competition (Lasco, 2020).…”

“…Among the social and collateral damages of the WOD (De Villa, 2022; Tugade, 2019) that scholars described was the resulting poverty and social stigma suffered by victims' families (Ofreneo et al., 2022; Pangilinan et al., 2020). Still other impacts include that on public health (Arquiza‐Legarde, 2023); COVID response (Hapal, 2021; M. Thompson, 2022); individuals' mental health (Treceñe et al., 2019; Yamada et al., 2023); human rights workers such as Amnesty International (Stansfield, 2017); climate change activists (Holden, 2023); international relations with China (Lopega, 2019); the burden to students of drug testing in schools (Lasco, 2023), and how the police used the WOD to harass sex workers (Parmanand, 2019).…”

Exposure to drug-related killings and its psychological consequences in the Philippines.

“…At least 18% of DRK victims within Metro Manila benefit from the conditional cash transfer program, which is financial assistance provided to the poorest citizens. DRKs have led to a loss of breadwinners, reduced family income, and negative social consequences for families; children drop out of school, people are displaced from their homes, social cohesion is eroded, and negative stigma rises from the surroundings (Pangilinan et al, 2021). Inadvertent DRK victims include family members of alleged offenders (Phillips, 2016).…”