POLICE are validating information that some aspiring candidates in the May 12, 2025 mid-term elections may turn to drug money to fund their campaign chest.

In a recent interview, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Rommel Francisco D. Marbil revealed they are keeping a close watch on drug money that could be used to fund election-related activities of some politicians.

“Sabi po nila kapag malapit na ang eleksyon marami po kailangan na pera. Tunay po yan, ito na ang nangyayari. Sino ang nagpapadala? So yun po. We have to talk to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and discuss what’s our strategy,” the top cop said.

For his part, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos Jr. also warned that illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator or POGO facilities-turned ‘scam farms’ could fund candidates in next year’s polls.

The DILG chief made the warning amid the discovery of the illegal POGO hubs in Bamban, Tarlac and in Porac, Pampanga linked to now dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo.

“There could always be that possibility of illegal means, illegal POGO, illegal jueteng or illegal e-sabong and worse, even illegal drugs, narco politics. All of these things could possibly affect an election,” Sec. Abalos said as he reiterated his warning against local government executives who will allow the operation of illegal POGO in their areas.

Last week, PNP Drug Enforcement Group director, Brigadier Gen. Eleazar P. Matta, citing intelligence reports revealed that they are counter-checking information that some local chief executives are into illegal drug activities and may use their drug proceeds to finance their campaign next year.

He said they have received information from a number of informants regarding the matter. All the reports are already being validated by the PDEG in coordination with their allied law enforcement agencies.

Presence of local officials involved in illegal drug activities have been validated by the PNP time and time again. In 2007, a Quezon City court sentenced to life imprisonment former Panukulan, Quezon Mayor Ronnie Mitra and his driver for transporting-using a government ambulance- hundreds of kilos of shabu on October 13, 2001.

Interestingly, a group of agents from the now defunct PNP Narcotics Group-among them two young police officers in the person of Matta and now PNP spokesperson, Colonel Jean S. Fajardo—made the arrests and recovery of at least 503.68 kilograms of shabu along Real, Quezon.

Gen. Marbil said that the shift of focus in the Marcos government’s anti-drug campaign has produced good results. During a recent command conference with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the PNP reported the conduct of 92,904 operations, which led to the arrest of 116,740 individuals and the seizure of PHP11.89 billion worth of illegal drugs.

Latest records released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency headed by Director General Moro Virgilio M. Lazo said that lenforcement agents under the Marcos Jr. administration have already seized a total of P46.59 billion worth of illegal drugs including over six tons of shabu and arrested 6,792 ‘high-value targets’ from July 1, 2022 to July 31 this year.

The numbers of the National Anti-Drug Campaign during the period released by the PDEA showed that the drugs confiscated during the past 24 months include 6,0059.82 kilograms of shabu, 74.69 kilos of cocaine, 107,271 pieces of the designer drug called Ecstasy and 5,213.51of marijuana leaves.

The period also saw Marcos government agents dismantling one clandestine shabu laboratory and 1,084 drug dens and hauling to jail a total of 106,313 drug personalities across the country.

A total of 78,257 anti-drug operations were conducted by the government during the period. As a result, 28,868 barangays have been declared as ‘drug-cleared’ while 6,850 others are still affected and are undergoing ‘drug-clearing.’

Those operations were spearheaded by the PDEA and the PNP. Gen. Marbil had made it clear that the police will ‘remain committed to our continuing reforms that strengthen our institution, and this include strict adherence to the President’s call for a holistic approach to combating illegal drugs, with a strong emphasis on the preservation of human life.”

“The PNP, alongside other law enforcement agencies, will be unrelenting in our campaign against illegal drugs, with each agency contributing to a broader effort to address the drug menace,” said Col. Fajardo

A huge part of the seized drugs have and controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) have been destroyed in a special chemical facility in Trece Martires City, Cavite.

They include the 1.2 tons of shabu intercepted by policemen manning a checkpoint in Alitagtag, Batangas last April 15.

The seized drugs have been destroyed through thermal decomposition or thermolysis, which involves breaking down chemical compounds with the use of tremendous heat. At 1,000 degrees centigrade, all dangerous drugs are decomposed or broken down.

The PDEA said the expeditious prosecution and disposition of drug cases prompted the immediate destruction of these drugs after these were presented as pieces of evidence.