Wrong data = wrong strategy

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EDITORIAL
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Sunday, November 19, 2017
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THERE is confusion brought about by conflicting statistics related to the antidrug campaign. Such confusion even caused the removal from post of a top official of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB). The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has apparently no reliable data that can aid the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, if we are to go by a recent Senate hearing on the agency’s proposed budget for 2018.

The law provides that data produced by PSA shall be the official and controlling statistics of the government. Under Republic Act 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013, PSA shall be primarily responsible for all national censuses and surveys, sectoral statistics, consolidation of selected administrative recording systems and compilation of national accounts.

Just this May, President Duterte sacked DDB chairman Benjamin Reyes for saying there were only 1.8 million drug dependents in the country, way below the 4.7 million figure cited by the President and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

To what extent is PSA’s participation in getting real data on the supposed gravity of the drug problem? From the recent Senate hearing, it appeared that PSA is merely relying on data submitted by an interagency body composed of the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice, among others.

Are we just to rely on the data of the police that may have other motives or agenda in dishing out statistics? This is very discomforting. Why is a major policy thrust of the Duterte administration – solving the drug problem – not supported by reliable data from PSA? If we are just relying on the police whose motive insofar as the data is concerned is suspect, then we really have a problem. What is PSA for if it does not have its own independent data?

It’s time the expertise of PSA – and even its head agency, National Economic and Development Authority – is put to good use. They can shed light on this issue that has long been the subject of confusion and debate. They should conduct their own survey on the extent of the drug problem. This is not rocket science. Certainly, finding out the number of drug dependents is a matter that can be determined by appropriate surveys.

Having reliable and correct data is crucial and should be the basis in crafting correct government policies. Wrong data could certainly lead to erroneous policies and strategies.

There should be data-driven policy-making, especially in the war against drugs, instead of generating suspect data for the sole purpose of backing up policies already made.
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