PBBM winning war on drugs with less bloodshed–PDEA
THE government of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr. is winning the battle on drugs and corrupt government officers with less bloodshed, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.
PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo made the assertion as he said they are shifting their anti-narcotics strategy in line with President Marcos’ anti-drug campaign thrust geared towards community-based rehabilitation, going after drug syndicates and getting rid of unscrupulous government officials.
The PDEA chief revealed that from July 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, government agents conducted a total of 47,076 anti-illegal drug operations.
The operations reflected a 2.56 percent increase compared to the 45,902 operations carried out for the same period from July 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.
From July 2022 to September 2023, 64,862 drug suspects were arrested, compared to 64,143 arrests in the same period from 2020 to 2021.
Lazo said the volume of confiscated shabu has increased from 2,349 kilograms in 2020-2021 to 3,795 kilograms in 2022 to 2023.
The increase was 1,446 kilograms, which is equivalent to 61.58 percent increase under the Marcos Jr. administration.
He added that there was a 52 percent reduction in the number of drug-related fatalities during operations initiated by the PDEA, dropping from 40 in the previous period of 2020-2021 to 19 from July 2022 to September 2023.
“Sadly, some law enforcers entrusted with the implementation of the previous administration’s aggressive war on drugs, committed treacherous acts, a clear indication of failure,” Lazo said.
He also said that in 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte himself admitted that his administration’s war on drugs is a failure, and that despite the relentless efforts, the country’s drug situation worsened.
He added that on top of these, the recent massive seizures of shabu–532 kilograms in Pampanga, 274 kilograms at the Manila International Container Port and the 990 kilograms in the possession of Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo during an anti-narcotics operation last year–are indicative of the continued efforts of the anti-drug campaign to target and combat large drug syndicates operating in the country.
The official described as ‘an unprecedented move’ the action by Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr. which prompted 853 3rd-level PNP officers to submit their courtesy resignation before the President as part of a massive internal cleansing program against law enforcers involved in illegal drug trafficking.
“With these, the PDEA asserts its firm stance of tightening the grip against drug networks while at the same time putting more emphasis and respect to dignity of human rights and rehabilitation of drug offenders,” he added.
The PDEA chief said that in the first year of PBBM’s administration, collaborative efforts between their partners, such as the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation, the DILG and the PNP Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG), the Department of Transportation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, especially the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC); the Bureau of Customs, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the Dangerous Drugs Board, other government agencies, and foreign counterparts, have achieved remarkable heights.
Last Friday, the PDEA chief led the destruction of P5.97 billion worth of dangerous drugs and other substances at the Integrated Waste Management, Inc. in Trece Martires City, Cavite.
Present during the destruction were Rep. Aurelio “Dong” D. Gonzales Jr., Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Representative; Robert Ace S. Barbers, Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs; Dan S. Fernandez, Santa Rosa City Lone District Representative and Chairman of the House Committee on Public Order and Safety; Jorge “Patrol” Bustos, PATROL Party List Representative and Chairperson, House Committee on Veteran’s Affairs and Welfare; and DDB chairman Secretary Catalino Cuy.
