PDEA gives P10.2 million to tipsters

DRUG SPY | Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director-General Wilkins Villanueva awards over P4 million in cash to “Dream,” an informant who helped seize 163 tons of “shabu” last year. —PHOTO courtesy of PDEA

MANILA, Phillippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has awarded more than P10.2 million in cash to 13 tipsters who provided information that resulted in 22 successful anti-drug operations and the seizure of a huge volume of illegal drugs last year.

Wilkins Villanueva, director-general of the PDEA, on Tuesday led the distribution of the reward money to the informants, who were identified only through codenames, at the agency’s national headquarters in Quezon City.

‘Operation Private Eye’

The tipster with the codename “Dream” received the biggest share of the reward money — over P4.1 million — for his information that led to three anti-drug operations, the arrest of five drug personalities, and the seizure of 163 tons of “shabu” or methamphetamine hydrochloride.

Other informants that also became instant millionaires were “Bonky” and “Palanyag” who got P1.98 million and P1.95 million, respectively. Palanyag’s tips led to five drug operations: two in March and three in May last year, all in Metro Manila.

The cash rewards are part of PDEA’s “Operation Private Eye,” a citizen-based information collection program aimed at encouraging private citizens to report illegal drug activities in their communities.

According to Villanueva, tips from informants leading to successful drug operations have swarmed the agency.

“It’s unprecedented. Never in the history of law enforcement [have we been] able to seize this volume of illegal drugs for a period of three months,” he said.

RELATED STORIES

Total drug war deaths at 6,235 as of February 2022, says PDEA

PDEA hotline tip leads to arrest of drug suspect in Zambales

PDEA rewards P11M to ‘Sam Milby,’ ‘Cardo’ and other tipsters of drug dens