Palace touts anti-drug campaign; P1.37-B drugs seized

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) confiscated about P1.37 billion worth of illegal drugs in various operations from November 2022 to February this year, Malacañang said on Friday.

Citing a PDEA report submitted to Malacañang, Press Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said the PDEA launched 405 operations that resulted in the arrest of 728 drug personalities from Nov. 21, 2022 to Feb. 28, 2023.

Under Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo, Garafil said that various PDEA operations yielded 177.21 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, 200.22 kg of dried leaves and bricks of marijuana, 565,160 pieces of marijuana plants, 1,687 grams of cocaine and 16,782 tablets of ecstasy.

During the same period, PDEA said it launched 115 “high-impact operations,” which resulted in the dismantling of 79 drug dens, eradication of 12 marijuana plantations, and 24 high-volume seizures.

Garafil said these anti-illegal drugs operations also resulted in the arrest of 548 high-value targets (HVTs), which is “vital in disrupting the proliferation of dangerous drugs in the country.”

The PDEA said among the apprehended HVTs were four elected officials, 15 government employees, nine foreigners, 42 target-listed personalities, 102 drug den operators and one uniformed personnel.

Aside from the antidrug operations launched, PDEA said 11,316 drug cases were filed before the courts, where 7,038 cases were resolved, 6,079 resulted in conviction, 635 in acquittal and 324 were dismissed.

The PDEA has also established 19 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers in the country since its inauguration in 2018.

In January this year, the Philippine National Police said 61 drug suspects had been killed by law enforcers since President Marcos took office on June 30, 2022.

During the campaign period, Mr. Marcos said the government’s drug war would continue but he would be going after the “big guys” instead of the small players.

His predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, had been heavily criticized for his deadly war on drugs, with fatalities ranging from 6,000 to 8,000 mostly poor Filipinos, prompting a probe by the International Criminal Court. INQ