Nearly P40.3B shabu, illegal substances seized by PNP
NEARLY P40.3 billion worth of shabu and other prohibited substances have been seized by agents of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the Marcos Jr. presidency from July 1, 2022 to October 31 this year amid its continuing efforts to stop the drug chain or flow of prohibited substances and not resorting to killings, the Journal Group learned yesterday.
Official PNP records showed that during the period, a total of P40,227,910,263.67 worth of illegal drugs were seized by the police nationwide compared to the P8.440,519,745.60 confiscated by the police force from July 1, 2016 to October 31, 2018 or during the former Rodrigo R. Duterte administration.
Recovered by the PNP during the July 1, 2022 to October 31, 2024 period were some 5.248 tons of shabu or the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine,’ 12.265 tons of dried marijuana leaves, nearly 13.173 million pieces of fully-grown cannabis plants, 30.525 kilos of cocaine, 12,653 pieces of the designer drug called Ecstasy and 36,029 kilos of the high-grade marijuana derivative called Kush.
The banned drugs were seized as a result of 112,766 anti-narcotics operations which netted 140,843 drug personalities, all charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
During the same period in 2016 to 2018, police conducted 122,849 operations which led in the arrest of 184,060 targets and the recovery of some 1.161 tons of shabu, some 3.189 tons of dried marijuana leaves, 34,860 pieces of marijuana plants, 29,612 grams of cocaine, 645 Ecstasy tablets and 235 kilos of Kush.
PNP chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil earlier stressed that stopping the drug chain or flow of prohibited substances inside the country, not killing suspected drug personalities is their top strategy under the Marcos Jr. administration.
“The strategy of the PNP today is to stop the drug chain, the flow of illegal drugs nationwide. It is not by killing that we aim to disrupt and reduce the movement of illegal drugs in our country,” the top cop told the Journal Group.
He also emphasized the need to ensure the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users in the country in maintaining their ‘bloodless war on drugs’ as cited by the Commander-in-Chief in his 3rd State-of-the-Nation-Address last July 22.
“Our drive will continue with more focus on rehabilitating users apart from dismantling the operations of drug syndicates,” Gen. Marbil said.
President Marcos Jr. last July said that “extermination” has never been a part of his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, stressing that the drive will remain “bloodless.’
PNP spokesperson, Brigadier Gen. Jean S. Fajardo also said that Gen. Marbil was taken ‘out of context’ in a Facebook article wherein he was quoted as saying that night-shift workers who are using drugs to stay awake to prolong their work hours are not ‘drug addicts.’
“I think the Chief,PNP was taken out of context. I was with him during that interview and the topic is the problem about illegal drugs, tied to the statements before the Senate of former President Duterte about extra-judicial killings and questionable illegal drug operations,” she said.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo said that the PNP chief has time and again emphasized that looking on the perspective of law enforcement, the problem on illegal drugs cannot be solved by the police force alone as it requires a ‘whole-of-nation’ approach.
“The Chief,PNP believes that the drug problem is not only a law enforcement problem but also a health problem. Ang sinasabi niya, some of them are not really drug dependents kaya hindi dapat tinitingnan ang isang drug user na masama kundi victims sila,” she said.
She cited the so many cases of bus drivers and conductors who have tested positive for shabu during surprise testing conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the past. Majority of those who tested positive for substance abuse claimed they were forced to take the drug to make them stay away for their very long trips.
“Hindi sinasabi ng ating Chief, PNP na porke night workers like call center agents, utility personnel and the like ay kelangang gumamit ng drugs just to extend their working hours. Ang sabi niya, our problem on drugs ay wag tingnan sa law enforcement aspect lang. Dapat ding tingnan sa medical/health side, sa economic side.
Ang sabi niya, drug users always deserve a 2nd chance, hindi yung pag na-identify ka lang eh it would result to killing kasi baka naman some of them eh hindi naman drug addict talaga. These are some side of the story that we should understand. We need to look at the demand side, the rehabilitation side,” she explained.
Brig. Gen. Fajardo also said that the public must understand that during the previous administration, over a million drug users were reported to have surrendered to authorities but problem arose due to the lack of enough rehabilitation centers.
“However, If anyone was offended by Gen. Marbil’s statement, we sincerely apologize,” she said.
A total of 193 also died during police operations which is very far from the 702 recorded during the same period by the UP Third World Studies Center as reported by another newspaper (not the Journal Group) which also said that the poor are still the most targeted.
According to the PNP Drug Enforcement Group director, Brig. Gen. Eleazar P. Matta, they are targeting the drug supply chain by focusing on suppliers, manufacturers, and traffickers.
“Through intelligence gathering, surveillance, and inter-agency cooperation, we aim to reduce the availability of drugs and increase the risks and costs associated with engaging in illicit activities,” he said.
Last month, PDEG agents seized nearly P78 million worth of shabu and other prohibited substance amid their stepped-up crackdown against illegal drugs.
Brig. Gen. Matta said the drugs valued at P77,921,760.00 were recovered as a result of 71 anti-drug operations they conducted from October 1-31 which also led in the arrest of 80 of their targets.
The official said that among the prohibited substance recovered during the period were 3,502.20 grams of shabu, 33,000 grams of the high-grade cannabis derivative called Kush, 33,040 grams of dried marijuana, 45ml of marijuana oil, 700 marijuana seedlings, and 2,800 fully-grown marijuana plants.
