PDEA chief denies catching only small fish in drug war

Shabu worth P57.5 million was intercepted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Inter-Agency Drug Interdiction Task Group in an earlier operation in Pasay City. INQUIRER PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) chief Director General Aaron Aquino denied Thursday that they only catch “small fish” or minor targets in the drug war.

In an interview with Radyo Inquirer, Aquino made the denial as he took note of significant accomplishments in the government’s drive against illegal drugs.

“Hindi lang kasi naiintindihan ng ibang kababayan na nagsasabing maliliit [na drug targets] lang ang ating nahuhuli. Napakarami na nating high-value targets na nahuli at tsaka ‘yung high-impact operations natin napakarami na rin,” he said.

(People who say we only go after small targets don’t understand [what’s happening]. We have arrested many high-value targets and launched many high-impact operations.)

PDEA earlier reported that it busted 1,612 high-value targets in 2018, including foreign drug syndicates and government workers.

READ: PDEA arrests over 1,600 ‘high-value targets’

Aquino also noted that PDEA seized drugs and laboratory equipment amounting to P25.19 billion since July 1, 2016 until Nov. 30, 2018.

“Napakalaki na nito. Unti-unti na rin naming nasusunog ‘yung nakukumpiska nating ilegal na droga,” he said.

(This is so much already. Batch by batch we have been burning the illegal drugs we confiscate.)

According to Aquino, only 9 billion worth of illegal drugs have yet to be burned by PDEA.

He said the PDEA burns confiscated illegal drugs to dispel suspicion that illegal drugs seized from operations get recycled. /cbb