MANILA, Philippines — The newly-appointed chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday said he will impose a new protocol in the conduct of anti-drug operations to protect agents from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
“Malaking challenge sa amin kasi magkakaroon kami ng bagong protocol on how to conduct anti-drug operation,” PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said in an interview with dzBB when asked about his plans as new PDEA chief amid the spread of the COVID-19.
(It is a big challenge for us because we will create a new protocol on how to conduct anti-drug operations.)
“Ang i-fo-formulate natin although gumagawa ako dito. Nagstrategize ako ng protocol ang unang icoconsider namin is yung buhay ng ahente namin,” he added.
(We will formulate, although I already readied some strategies. I created a strategy on protocols which will first consider the lives of our agents.)
For instance, Villanueva said training for anti-drug agents will include health protocols when arresting drug suspects during anti-drug operations.
“Meron kaming exercise at training kung san halimbawa sa pagaresto, di kami magface-to-face sa tao kasi diba droplets dun nakukuha so siguro likod-likod or what. Magkakaroon kami ng training sa lahat mga ahente,” he said.
(We have exercise and training wherein for instance we won’t arrest a person face to face because the disease can be received through droplets so maybe back to back or what. We will have training with agents.)
Villanueva said protecting his men is important as there are over 2,000 agents in PDEA. He also noted that half of the 2,000 agents are assigned in administrative work.
On Tuesday, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed that President Rodrigo Duterte had appointed Villanueva, who formerly headed the PDEA’s Region 10 office, as the agency’s new director-general.
Villanueva replaced outgoing PDEA Director-General Aaron Aquino who was appointed as head of the Clark International Airport.