PDEA: 75,000 drug suspects arrested in 2017

VIP DRUG SUSPECT Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino presents Diane Uy after her arrest in a drug raid at her home near Malacañang. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The government arrested about 75,000 drug suspects during all of its anti-drug operations in 2017, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

In a statement on Tuesday, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said a total of 75,008 drug personalities were apprehended in 38,830 anti-drug operations throughout the year.

Aquino noted an increase in arrests as well as anti-drug operations compared to the previous year.

“This is 14 percent more than the operations conducted in 2016. As a result of the increase, the number of arrested drug offenders likewise grew by 167.35 percent from 28,056 in 2016 to 75,008 in 2017,” the PDEA chief said in a statement.

The operations were conducted by PDEA, the lead agency against narcotics, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other law enforcement agencies, Aquino said.
READ: PDEA welcomes return of PNP as lead agency in drug war

President Duterte signed a memorandum on October 10 naming PDEA as the “sole agency” to lead the drug war, ordering all other law enforcement agencies to terminate their respective operations.

However, Duterte on December 5 reinstated the PNP in the brutal war on drugs.

PDEA’s Aquino welcomed Duterte’s decision, saying it has been the “desire” of the agency for the PNP to return in the drug war.

The agency had admitted it was “undermanned,” “under-budget” and “under-equipped” to take on the war on drugs, stressing there is a need for other law enforcement agencies to participate in the campaign.