uAs the war on drugs intensifies, more and more cases of children losing their fathers occur.
In ABS-CBN’s Investigative Report, numerous cases have left low-income families at a loss after being robbed out of their family’s breadwinner. Their research group has been able to record 1,050 drug-related fatalities, starting from May 10 to September 27 of this year, and the count continues to go up.
After reviewing cases of 50 suspects slain in the anti-illegal drugs campaign, 82 children were found to be orphaned. One such example is Carla (8 yrs. old) whose father, Oliver dela Cruz, was shot dead at a neighbor’s house on the morning of July 1. Police reports say that the suspect resisted arrest which led them to open fire; however, eyewitnesses denied this account, saying that Oliver did not resist when the police arrived while he was in the midst of playing cards with the neighbors. According to them, the police had even slammed his face on the wall.
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Due to this unforeseen event, his widow, Rizalinda is now trying her best to make ends meet and raise the kids on her own. One of their sons, Juan, is sick and needed medication which led Oliver into selling drugs. Other similar cases can be found in the video as the war rages on.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) acknowledged that as these situations continue to grow in number, there is a need to take action and seek for a special budget that could fund a project next year. As of the moment, they will have to rely on funds from the Protective Services Programs.
According to a social worker, a child may be emotionally scarred due to the lack of emotional assistance during these times. It is clear to see that whoever may win this battle with drugs, these children have already lost.
Source: (news.abs-cbn.com)
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