OVER P747 million worth of shabu and other prohibited substances have been seized by agents of the Philippine National Police (PNP) since last January amid its new tact on fighting narcotics in the country under the Marcos Jr. administration while strictly going after rogues in uniform including 3rd-Level Officers with drug links, PNP chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. said yesterday.

From January 1 to February 15 this year alone, PNP agents have arrested 692 ‘high-value targets and 5,588 ‘street-level’ drug personalities and confiscated the huge volume of prohibited drugs from them as a result. The police operations also prompted 176 drug users to surrender, the top cop said.

Gen. Azurin asked them to continue their aggressive war on drugs specifically in going after the so-called ‘big fishes’ or the main source of the illegal drugs being trafficked in the country.

The PNP chief said the operations are testaments to the effectiveness of their intelligence-driven and community-oriented approach to law enforcement.

“ By targeting big-time drug pushers and utilizing strategic methods, our police officers have successfully disrupted the illegal drug trade and prevented harmful substances from reaching our communities,” he added.

Amid ongoing efforts of the 5-Man Committee to screen the over 900 police generals and colonels who have tendered their courtesy resignations to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. last January, the top cop said his men in the field are also busy focusing their efforts to arrest the flow of illegal drugs in the country by going after the so-called ‘big fishes.’

Gen. Azurin said they are focusing on how the supply of illegal drugs is coming into the country. He also emphasized the importance of identifying the modes used in importing illegal drugs to ensure that the supply chain entering the country will be effectively reduced, if not cut completely.

The top cop has ordered his men to address the continuous problem on illegal drugs through a holistic approach, focusing on barangay communities with police fully harnessing the support of all faith-based organizations and the community.

He said their focused effort to address the supply of illegal substance in the country since last January 1 have already led in the confiscation of more than P600 million worth of shabu and other prohibited drugs.

“Our sustained interdiction operations are yielding positive results in the anti-illegal drugs campaign since the year started,” said the PNP chief.

According to Gen. Azurin, police nationwide have already conducted more than 6,000 anti-drug operations which led to the arrest of over 8,000 drug offenders and the confiscation of the huge volume of shabu, marijuana and other banned drugs.

Gen. Azurin likewise noted less drug-related deaths amid their new tact in fighting the national scourge wherein he has emphasized the importance of focusing on how the supply of illegal drugs is coming into the country.

The PNP chief underscored the value of identifying the modes used in importing illegal drugs to “ensure that the supply chain entering our country will be reduced, if not cut completely.”

“Hindi naman ‘yon lalangoy eh, na darating na lang yung droga dito sa ‘tin. Definitely, by air and by sea,” the top cop said as he maintained that most contrabands get in the country through sea travel “because our border control and security are very weak.”

Gen. Azurin said this is the reason why the PNP is closely partnering with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Customs, and other law enforcement agencies to help them the Marcos administration’s war on drugs.

Under the PNP’s new strategy, Gen. Azurin said they are totally seeking the full cooperation of the church and the community in addressing the drug problem especially in the grassroots level. He added that police must cooperate with every community in the barangay and victims of illegal drugs must be provided with proper rehabilitation.

“The impressive achievements highlight the effectiveness of the intelligence-driven approach to reducing supply which places a strong emphasis on non-violent means of making arrests while ensuring the safety of teams involved in violent encounters with armed suspects through proper equipment and training. This is the new face of our anti-illegal drugs campaign,” Gen. Azurin said.

The PNP chief added that the centerpiece of this effort is their Recovery and Wellness Program, which is part of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations through Reinforcement and Education (ADORE), the final phase of the PNP’s endgame strategy against drug abuse.

Leading the PNP’s anti-narcotics operation is the PNP Drug Enforcement Group headed by Brigadier Gen. Narciso D. Domingo which has arrested over 100 drug personalities and accounted for more than P28 million worth of prohibited substances since the year started.

Brig. Gen. Domingo said that majority of the operations ended up without any shot being fired even as they went after High-Value Individuals, Street-Level Individuals and marijuana cultivators as part of their stepped-up drug supply reduction efforts.

“With these number of operations we conducted, it is worthy to mention that there were no reports of deaths or any armed encounter. This only shows that PDEG is conducting a fair, comprehensive and a balance anti-illegal drugs strategy,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Domingo said they are currently focused on suppressing the flow of illegal drugs in the country thru sustained law enforcement operations and reducing consumer demand for shabu and other prohibited drugs thru drug rehabilitation and a massive preventive education and awareness program.

Gen. Azurin has vowed to fully uphold the protection of human life in their anti-illegal drug campaign and wants increased contact with barangay officials who can identify drug personalities in their communities.

The PNP chief has assured the country that his order for his men is to ensure that the rule of law will be strictly followed as they continue an unrelenting war on illegal drugs in the country.

The country’s 28th top cop emphasized that ‘crime shall be dealt within the bounds of law, in accordance to human rights’ as the 227,000-strong police force continues to cooperate with other agencies as they conceptualize more sustainable operations particularly when it comes to addressing the illegal drug problem ‘without fear nor favor.’

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr. also called on the police force to ensure that the ‘rule of law’ is followed as they continue their all-out war versus drugs.

However, he said that he will also be ensuring that the rights of policemen who are performing their lawful duties will always be protected thru the creation of a DILG Legal Team that will provide support to the PNP.

Sec. Abalos also said that another thing in his mind is the need for the police force to ensure that airtight cases will be filed against arrested drug violators to ensure their conviction for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

“We need quality cases,” he said as he underscored the need for the police to ensure that arrested drug offenders will be found ‘guilty beyond reasonable doubt’ as a result of solid pieces of evidence and testimonies from arresting officers and other witnesses.

Himself a lawyer, Sec. Abalos said he and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ C. Remulla Jr. are talking with top PNP officials to lay down their plans to ensure more court victories for the police force specifically when it comes to prosecuting RA 9165 cases.

Sec. Abalos said he wants some matters addressed jointly by the DILG and the DOJ including concerns over the presence of RA 9165 cases being dismissed by the court due to mere technicalities such as lack of required witnesses during the on-site inventory of confiscated drugs.