Lived Experiences of Anti-Drug Operation Managers in the Implementation of Philippine Nationwide Anti-Drug Campaign Tokhang: Focus on a Rural Setting

Abstract

The role of anti-drug operation managers is inevitably critical in the conduct of anti-drug operation programs. Since 2016, the Philippines attracted global media attention for its anti-drug campaign known nationally as Tokhang, which resulted in over a million drug surrenderers and thousands of arrests. Focusing on its implementation in a rural setting, we sought to understand the factors that contributed to the successful implementation of Tokhang by examining the lived experiences of police managers leading its implementation. Through qualitative research using Collaizi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis, we identified nine emergent themes which police leaders made specific references to: 1) leverage through probity, 2) know your enemy, 3) awareness of the law of supply and demand, 4) restorative support, 5) leading rightly, gaining trust 6) judicious personnel selection, 7) restoring peaceful communities, 8) restoring change, redeeming difference, and 9) instilling fear, reducing lawlessness. We propose that the success of Tokhang in the rural areas was attributable in large part to these factors. We also suggest a reflection on the identified themes for the application of transformational leadership in police operation settings. The findings also indicate the sense of safety and peace from the rural communities in the wake of the anti-drug campaign, which counteracts the international media narrative. Further research on community sense of safety in an anti-drug campaign would also contribute to the value added by this study.