THE vaunted war on drugs by the Duterte administration literally overshadowed all previous campaign against illegal substances by previous governments and in fact earned it wide recognition from local and international communities apart from criticisms usually associated with perennial government critics, officials said yesterday.

The crackdown against all forms of illegal drug trafficking and abuse was spearheaded by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) since Day 1 of the Duterte presidency triggering a more than 70 percent crime volume reduction in the country.

However, PNP Officer-in-Charge, Lieutenant General Vicente D. Danao Jr. said they are not letting their guards down and are seeing to it that its anti-criminality drive will remains in full throttle under the incoming administration of President-elect Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.

Speaking during the 2nd Day of the Duterte Legacy Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Tuesday last week, PDEA chair, Director General Wilkins M. Villanueva said that from July 1, 2016 to last March 31, Duterte law enforcement agents conducted a total of 233,356 anti-illegal drug operations which led to the arrest of 336,796 suspects, 14,888 of them considered as ‘high-value targets.

A total of 6,241 persons, majority of them armed, were killed as a result of buy-bust operations, service of warrants of arrest and search warrants for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and other police operations.

However, Director General Villanueva explained that these deaths were the result of violent actions by drug personalities against the anti-narcotics authorities during lawful arrests.

The member of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) ‘Maringal’ Class of 1988 challenged critics of the government’s war on drugs to also investigate and ask the people “whose domiciles belong to the drug-cleared barangays on what they are enjoying right now.”

“To the persistent critics of the government’s drug war campaign who contend that the drug war is a failure, I respect your right to free speech. You critics may have articulated your opinions based on what you see or hear in the news and not on actual experiences,’’ he said.

“In my book, no one else but the residents of drug-cleared communities make the best judge to tell precisely if the war on drugs is a success or not,’’ he added.

He also noted the government’s successful effort to reform drug patients since 2016. “This is such good news that no one is interested. Giving second chance to 44 drug offenders is better than arresting them and putting them to jail,” he added.

PDEA records showed that since July 2016 to last March 31, a total of 24,766 barangays have already been declared as ‘drug-cleared’ while another 6,575 remain ‘unaffected or drug-free barangays’ to date.

Villanueva noted that the government’s all-out war against illegal drugs started when President Duterte made the commitment to solve the “gargantuan and decades-old problem in just a short period of time.”

Stressing that the government values human lives, he said that second chances were given to drug personalities “who wish to right their wrong and thread the road to recovery.’’

“Taking human life was never the intent of anti-drug operations. Let us remember that on the side of law enforcement, PDEA also had its share of casualties,’’ he added.

The official admitted that there were indeed multiple deaths recorded during legitimate anti-drug operations since 2016 but they pale in comparison to the numerous counts of drug suspects apprehended.

“A lot has been said that the President has not kept his promise to rid illegal drugs in his first six months of office. He admittedly underestimated the severity of the drug problem. We can stop the selling the moment we stop those who are buying. Not one person resorts to drug-peddling if nary a soul patronizes it,’’ said the top PDEA official.

Villanueva said that with the government’s intense anti-illegal drug campaign, peace and order literally have reigned supreme and community progress abounds as what people will typically reply.

The official said that their Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) also assumed the role of the catalyst under the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drug Strategy (PADS).

He said that the PADS embodies a “whole-of-the-nation approach in addressing the country’s drug menace.’’ “Spurring growth of healthy communities that are free from the ill effects of illegal drugs has become the holy grail of the BDCP,’’ he explained.

Villanueva added the BDCP has enlisted the support of all the stakeholders, duty bearers and local government units in the barangay drug clearing operations which earned “successful high impact’’ results.

This also resulted in the seizure of billions of pesos worth of shabu, marijuana and other prohibited drugs and the arrest of so-called ‘HVT’s which were all considered as ‘large-scale accomplishments’ by the Duterte government.

Villanueva said the outgoing administration really built community-based reformation centers to cater to a growing number of drug victims who want to undergo rehabilitation to enable them to return to the mainstream of the society.

Latest RealNumbersPH records showed that from July 1, 2016 to last March 31, the Duterte government accounted for P88.83 billion worth of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and other essential chemicals including 11.78 tons of shabu, 163,295 pieces of Ecstasy tablets, 530.24 kilos of cocaine; and 10.16 tons of dried marijuana leaves.

The amount of shabu confiscated by the government during the period alone totaled P76.55 billion. the items included PHP76.55 billion worth of shabu.

So far, PDEA and PNP authorities have destroyed 8,177.79 kilograms of shabu otherwise known as the ‘poor man’s cocaine,’ 4,226.08 kilograms of marijuana, 21.93 kilos of the designed drug called ‘Ecstasy,’ 534.20 kilograms of cocaine and 3,483.67 kilos of other dangerous drugs.

During the period, a total of 1,156 drug dens and 19 clandestine shabu laboratories were also smashed by the government.

Of the 15,096 ‘HVT’s arrested, 6,768 were accounted for as a result of high-impact operations; 4,043 were ‘target-listed personalities; 1,670 were drug den maintainers; 797 were drug group leaders/members; 529 were government employees; 402 were elected officials; 364 were foreigners, majority of them Chinese nationals; 295 were in the most wanted lists; 126 uniformed personnel; 78 were armed group members; and 24 were considered as prominent personalities or celebrities/professionals.

Another 341,494 other individuals involved in illegal drugs were also hauled to jail by the PDEA and the PNP during the period.

At the same time, a total of 4,372 minors broken down into 2,635 pushers; 1,004 possessors; 453 users; 246 visitors of drugs dens; 10 drug den maintainers; 18 drug den employees; three marijuana cultivators, one secret shabu lab employee; and two runners were also accounted for by the government during the period in review.

Villanueva said that after court proceedings, the rescued minors were turned over to Bahay Pag-asa Reformation Centers operated by local government units within eight hours of being under police custody before they were placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The PDEA chief said that a total of 693,972 persons who use drugs or PWUDs and qualified pushers have undergone appropriate interventions and reformation programs in the barangays during the period.