FOLLOWING years of the bloody campaign against drugs of the previous administration, the government’s drive to totally eradicate the rampant illegal drug trade in the country has changed under the administration of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr.

Thus said DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos as he revealed the seizure of P6.7 billion of shabu in the first three months of the Marcos administration without a single drop of blood shed, proving that President Marcos’ bloodless war against drugs is effective.

The P6.7 billion seized is considered the biggest drug haul in the history of the Philippines.

According to Abalos, the new approach in the drug war focuses on going after big illegal drug syndicates and not only the small ones.

It can be recalled that authorities recently confiscated 990 kilograms of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P6.7 billion following a series of anti-drug operation in Manila.

Nabbed during the operations were a certain Ney Saligumba Atadero, 50; and Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, owner of the lending firm Wealth and Personal Development Lending Inc. in Sta. Cruz, Maynila. Also seized were a big amount of drugs.

Also nabbed was Juden Francisco and seven others in Pasig City.

According to police records, Mayo is an intelligence officer of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group.

Even during the first month of the Marcos administration, the PNP recorded having seized a total of P1.90 billion of illegal drugs. These include 202.38 kilos of shabu; 365.4 kilos of dried marijuana leaves; more than 2.6 million pieces of fully grown marijuana plants, and 37.57 grams of kush or high-grade marijuana.

A total of 12,309 sting and search warrant operations resulted in the arrest of 14,737 suspects. These include the first 17 day of September wherein the PNP recorded zero deaths in the conduct of 1,790 na operations.

Based on the report, the government does not tolerate extrajudicial killings, particularly of drug offenders.

“Arrests were made, but nobody was hurt in this classic, by-the-book police operation,” said PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. of the operation.

Abalos promised to continue the drug war under the Marcos administration but in another method wherein no blood will be shed and instead will focus on arresting drug dealers considered as big fish.