"Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines

Background: This paper articulates and problematises the 'exceptionalism' in the way shabu (crystal methamphetamine) is framed in political and popular discourse in the Philippines, and how these framings have informed and enabled the drug regime in the country, creating a 'state of e...

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Main Authors: Lasco, Gideon, Yu, Vincen Gregory
Format: text
Published: Archīum Ateneo 2021
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Online Access:https://archium.ateneo.edu/dev-stud-faculty-pubs/75
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395921000669?via%3Dihub
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Institution: Ateneo De Manila University
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spelling ph-ateneo-arc.dev-stud-faculty-pubs-10712022-02-11T11:38:48Z "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines Lasco, Gideon Yu, Vincen Gregory Background: This paper articulates and problematises the 'exceptionalism' in the way shabu (crystal methamphetamine) is framed in political and popular discourse in the Philippines, and how these framings have informed and enabled the drug regime in the country, creating a 'state of exception' and justifying the killing-whether extrajudicially or through the death penalty-of people associated with the particular drug. Methods: Two case studies are presented in this paper to demonstrate how political and civil society actors treat shabu, drawing on official statements, journalistic reportage, and published articles from various sources as empirical material, and using a problematisation framework to guide analysis. Discussion: 'Methamphetamine exceptionalism' pervades public discourse in the Philippines, creating a social and political environment that is permissive for, if not outright supportive of, draconian measures particular toward people associated with shabu. Such views are rooted in the perception that shabu is especially dangerous as opposed to other drugs, thereby posing an exceptional threat to the body politic. Conclusion: This paper underscores the importance of nuance in constructing and interrogating the objects of drug policy, given that different drugs are treated differently. Policy and communication interventions must therefore specifically address the ways in which shabu has been framed to justify not only Duterte's deadly drug war, but other such wars throughout the region. 2021-06-01T07:00:00Z text https://archium.ateneo.edu/dev-stud-faculty-pubs/75 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395921000669?via%3Dihub Development Studies Faculty Publications Archīum Ateneo Methamphetamine Drug wars Extrajudicial killings Death penalty Drug policy Problematisation Philippines Criminal Law Criminal Procedure Development Studies Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
institution Ateneo De Manila University
building Ateneo De Manila University Library
continent Asia
country Philippines
Philippines
content_provider Ateneo De Manila University Library
collection archium.Ateneo Institutional Repository
topic Methamphetamine
Drug wars
Extrajudicial killings
Death penalty
Drug policy
Problematisation
Philippines
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Development Studies
Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
spellingShingle Methamphetamine
Drug wars
Extrajudicial killings
Death penalty
Drug policy
Problematisation
Philippines
Criminal Law
Criminal Procedure
Development Studies
Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration
Lasco, Gideon
Yu, Vincen Gregory
"Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
description Background: This paper articulates and problematises the 'exceptionalism' in the way shabu (crystal methamphetamine) is framed in political and popular discourse in the Philippines, and how these framings have informed and enabled the drug regime in the country, creating a 'state of exception' and justifying the killing-whether extrajudicially or through the death penalty-of people associated with the particular drug. Methods: Two case studies are presented in this paper to demonstrate how political and civil society actors treat shabu, drawing on official statements, journalistic reportage, and published articles from various sources as empirical material, and using a problematisation framework to guide analysis. Discussion: 'Methamphetamine exceptionalism' pervades public discourse in the Philippines, creating a social and political environment that is permissive for, if not outright supportive of, draconian measures particular toward people associated with shabu. Such views are rooted in the perception that shabu is especially dangerous as opposed to other drugs, thereby posing an exceptional threat to the body politic. Conclusion: This paper underscores the importance of nuance in constructing and interrogating the objects of drug policy, given that different drugs are treated differently. Policy and communication interventions must therefore specifically address the ways in which shabu has been framed to justify not only Duterte's deadly drug war, but other such wars throughout the region.
format text
author Lasco, Gideon
Yu, Vincen Gregory
author_facet Lasco, Gideon
Yu, Vincen Gregory
author_sort Lasco, Gideon
title "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
title_short "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
title_full "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
title_fullStr "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
title_full_unstemmed "Shabu is different": Extrajudicial Killings, Death Penalty, and 'Methamphetamine Exceptionalism' in the Philippines
title_sort "shabu is different": extrajudicial killings, death penalty, and 'methamphetamine exceptionalism' in the philippines
publisher Archīum Ateneo
publishDate 2021
url https://archium.ateneo.edu/dev-stud-faculty-pubs/75
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395921000669?via%3Dihub
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