On the subject of mules

IN the 70s I represented the diplomatic sector in Manila in the fund campaign of the Narcotics Foundation of the Philippines which till now supports rehabilitation centers for drug addicts. With us in the campaign was the late society and fashion icon Chona Recto Kasten. Dressed simply but elegantly with hardly any makeup on, she nonetheless cut a mesmerizing figure as she addressed us softly and resolutely: “Dear fellow workers…” She was a devoted supporter of the foundation. She had lost a beloved son to drug overdose.

I had the impression then that the problem of drug addiction was confined to the kids of the upper classes and showbiz personalities. Decades afterwards, on recall back home after a posting abroad, I was shocked to find this problem had attacked all levels of Philippine society in both urban and rural areas, including the very street in the city I live in and the barrio in Nueva Ecija my mother came from.