Citing PDEA’s report, Palace says 2022 anti-drug drive netted P30.9B worth of illegal drugs

FILE PHOTO: An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) checks the pieces of evidence, including suspected “shabu” packed and labeled as “Chinese Tea,” that were confiscated during separate operations in Pangasinan and La Union provinces on Friday, August 12, 2022. Photo from PDEA

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s campaign against illegal drugs has led to the seizure of some P30.9 billion worth of controlled substances in 2022, Malacañang said Tuesday.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) cited the 2022 accomplishment report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) which was presented to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. this week.

In the report, the PDEA also said it destroyed some P27.8 billion worth of illegal drugs last year.

A total of 53,002 drug personalities were likewise arrested through more than 37,000 operations conducted by the agency, the 2022 report noted.

The PDEA further said that some 237 marijuana sites were also destroyed last year, resulting in the destruction of P738.6 million worth of marijuana plants and derivatives.

The agency likewise conducted 257,588 preventive education and community involvement activities, and established 111 “Balay Silangan” reformation centers, producing around 2,000 graduates and employing 894 people.

More than 300,000 drug users also underwent community-based rehabilitation programs, while 67,045 of them were given intervention programs, according to PDEA.

It also said it actively helped in the prosecution of drug personalities nationwide and filed 45,850 drug cases against them in 2022.

Out of 25,306 resolved cases last year, 21,112 or 83% resulted in convictions while 1,439 cases or 6% were dismissed by the courts.

“Looking forward, PDEA is strengthening the implementation of its anti-illegal drugs strategies, particularly focusing on suppressing supply by intensifying the conduct of intelligence-driven and high-impact operations, arrest of top-level drug personalities, enhancing inter-agency collaboration and strengthening efforts in drug entry points to deter smuggling,” the PCO said in a statement on Tuesday.

The PCO added that PDEA is also working for drug demand reduction by conducting National Anti-Drug Advocacy Campaign, forging close coordination with Anti-Drug Abuse Councils, supporting community-based drug rehabilitation programs, and intensifying information dissemination to promote a stigma-free campaign and to assist people who used drugs.

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