COMBINED agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG) and the Armed Forces made their final major drug haul before 2021 ended: around 77.5 kilograms of shabu worth P534.7 million in Mandaluyong City.

PDEA chair, Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva and his mistah from Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Maringal’ Class of 1988, PNP chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos said the major drug catch was part of their intensified effort to go after the so-called ‘big fishes’ in the illegal drug industry.

Since July 2016 to date, government agents have seized around P74.8 billion worth of the so-called ‘poor man’s cocaine’ and other prohibited drugs. Of the confiscated prohibited substance, around P64.8 billion of them are shabu which were mostly believed to have been smuggled into the country by foreign drug syndicates especially rogue Chinese nationals.

Last December 27, a buy-bust inside a popular condominium in Mandaluyong City conducted by members of the PDEA, the AFP Intelligence Service and Task Force Noah and the PNP-DEG headed by Brigadier Gen. Remus B. Medina led to the arrest of Mike Abac, a 32-year old businessman and Edison de Guzman,37, a cook. Both are residents of 8320 Guadalupe Nuevo, Makati City.

Villanueva said that recovered during the sting were 77.5 kilos of shabu worth P534,750,000,various drug paraphernalia, a mobile phone they used in making the illegal drug transaction with the undercover officer and the boodle money topped by several marked bills.

The two suspects are now being held at the PDEA lock-up facility facing non-bailable charges for sale and possession of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The PNP and PDEA leaderships said the confiscation of the illegal drugs that could have really flooded the streets is a solid proof that illegal drugs present a ‘clear and present danger’ to the survival of the country where authorities need to be prepared to respond to armed and dangerous drug traffickers, lest they end up dead just like the dozens of policemen and soldiers who have sacrificed their lives while fighting drug syndicates over the past five years.

Carlos said it is a fact that over the past few months, ‘intelligence-driven operations conducted by the PDEA headed by Director General Villanueva and the PNP specifically the PNP-DEG have resulted in the seizure of multi-billion worth of shabu and the neutralization of dozens of ‘high-value targets.’

The top cop maintained the PDEA-PNP operations against illegal drugs has been a major factor in reducing to at least 64 percent the crime volume in the country, thus making the streets much safer for peace-loving citizens.

Last October 18 alone, a PDEA-led operation in Barangay Pulong Cacutud, Angeles City, Pampanga led to the killing of four armed Chinese nationals. Recovered from the possession of the four were 38 kilograms of high-grade shabu worth P262.2 million and four chamber-loaded caliber .45 pistols.

The four Chinese nationals whose origins were traced from three Chinese provinces were identified as Cai Ya Bing alias ‘Cai,’29, of Yuncheng City, Shanxi; Erbo Ke alias ‘Payat,’34, from Quanzhou City, Fujian; and Huang Guidong, 43, and Wuyuan Shen alias ‘Jinpeng Zhang,’41, both from Zhang Zhou, Fujian province.

Last October 17, PDEA officers also arrested Nestor Rosal, 59, an ‘HVT’ in Central Visayas after he sold a kilo of shabu worth P6.8 million to a poseur in Bgy. Kamputhaw, Cebu City.

Last October 16, another PDEA-led operation in Bgy. Salitran 2 in Dasmariñas City, Cavite led to the arrest of Wilfredo Blanco Jr., 37; and Megan Pedroro,38, both residents of Kasiglahan Village in Rodriguez, Rizal. Confiscated from the possession of the two were 240 kilos of shabu with a market value of P1.65 billion.

Last October 1, another operation in Bgy. Molino 3 in Bacoor City in Cavite resulted in the arrest of Jorlan San Jose,26; Joseph Maurin,38; and Joan Lumanog,27, all resident of Dominorig, Talatag, Bukidnon after they conspired to sell 149 kilograms of shabu valued at P1.02 billion to an undercover officer.

Records show that from April 5 to last October 21, 2021, anti-narcotics operations conducted by the PNP-DEG headed by Medina have resulted in the seizure of nearly 981 kilos of shabu worth nearly P668 million.

Also confiscated and destroyed by the PNP-DEG during the period were 1,662,100 marijuana plants, nearly 849 kilos of cannabis leaves and 60 kilos of marijuana seeds.

Official RealNumbersPH Year 5 records show that from July 1, 2016 to last November 30, government agents have seized P74.30 billion worth of prohibited drugs including P62.35 billion or more than nine tons of shabu, said Director General Villanueva.

The period also saw the arrest of 13,996 ‘high-value targets’ including 349 foreign nationals, 394 elected officials, 126 uniformed personnel, 511 government employees, 3,830 ‘target-listed’ personalities; 796 drug group leaders/members, 75 armed group members, 1,449 drug den maintainers, 284 wanted-listed personalities, 24 celebrities/Professional Regulations Commission or PRC license holders; and 6,158 arrested from high-impact operations.

Villanueva said the period also saw the dismantling of 982 secret drug dens and 18 clandestine shabu laboratories and the killing of 6,221 armed suspects and the arrest of 319,929 others as a result of 221,657 anti-drug operations conducted.

Carlos said the effects of the successful illegal drugs operations by the Duterte government are already being felt by ordinary Filipinos.

According to him, the successful anti-illegal drugs operations in the past five years already resulted in the unprecedented 64 percent reduction on crime in the country.

The PNP has always maintained that most of the crime incidents in the country are related to illegal drugs abuse, a position that was vindicated by the continuous and significant reduction of crime in the country in the last five years.