PH illegal drug trade lost P500 billion in past year

Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, PNP chief (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The illegal drug industry has lost around P500 billion in a year since the start of the anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration, Dir. Gen. Ronaldo Dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.

He said the figure was based on the current cost of a gram of shabu, which is P5,000. With 1,309,776 drug users who have surrendered to authorities and assuming each consumed 200 milligrams daily, the total volume of drugs they didn’t up adds up to 85,589 kilograms.

According to Dela Rosa, at least 3,000 people have been killed in police anti-drug operations since last year.

These were some of the accomplishments he cited in his speech during the 116th anniversary celebration of the PNP held in Camp Crame.

Since July 1, 2016 to June 30 this year, Dela Rosa said the PNP had facilitated the surrender of 1,309,776 drug user and pushers and conducted 64,527 anti-drug operations.

In the same period, 86,030 drug personalities were arrested, and 3,522 others were high profile targets. There were also 141 high-value targets killed.

“We will sustain the gains we achieved since Day 1 of this administration,” he said, adding that the PNP was determined to do whatever it would take to achieve peace and order and a drug-free Philippines.

Around 1,340 suspects were also arrested during the period and 104 drug-related homicide cases are now undergoing investigation.

Dela Rosa also said that 65 police officers were killed and 170 others wounded from the operations.

President Rodrigo Duterte was the guest of honor at the ceremony. /atm