MEMBERS of the House committee on dangerous drugs have rallied behind the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the Duterte government while reassuring law enforcement agencies they would work on their budgetary needs and pass appropriate measures to strengthen their enforcement capabilities.
“Rest assured that each of our committee members will always be there to support you. We are allies in the governnent’s war versus illegal drugs,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said in a recent hearing conducted by his panel.
It was there where he assured officials of the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and National Bureau of Investigation of the committee’s full support for their respective anti-illegal drugs operations.
“Each of us are (sic) potential victims of drug addicts and drug pushers. We will definitely give you what you need, as much as we can. We will provide you with the necessary tools with respect to laws that we will craft in the future or perhaps amend existing laws, and will also give you budgetary support,” Barbers said.
Barbers said the committee is open to proposals which are new or seeking to amend existing laws especially in boosting enforcement capabilities of the PNP, NBI and PDEA to stop the drug problem.
So far, he said, there are 40 bills, four resolutions and four concurrent resolutions referred to the committee as of Aug. 31, 2016.
In terms of budgetary support for law enforcement agencies, Barbers vowed to talk to House leaders concerned to push for the proposed budgets of law enforcement agencies for next year for their anti-illegal drugs operations.
Barbers said, “We also want to help you in your budgetary needs as we have seen your budget is meager. Rest assured we will talk to the appropriations committee when your budgetary proposals reach the plenary.
“We will also talk to Speaker Alvarez to provide for your budget so we will have enough ammunition against our enemies who are the drug lords.”
Barbers said Congress, the PNP and the PDEA may come up with an acceptable rate for the agencies’ budgetary proposals for their anti-illegal drugs operations.
During the hearing, Police Director Benjamin Magalong, acting deputy chief for PNP Operations, said the PNP has proposed a P1 billion budget for its anti-illegal drugs operations while the PDEA is also seeking a P1 billion budget for next year.
Barbers asked the law enforcement agencies to submit their wish list to the committee for proper action.
“Maybe you can give us your wish list for your needs. We may not be able to solve all your problems, but we may be able to reduce or minimize them,” said Barbers.
Per the query of retired police general and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop on the current budget of law enforcement agencies for their anti-illegal drugs operations, PNP officials said they were allotted P36 million while the NBI has no budget for such in 2016 and only relies on fund assistance from the PDEA and the NBI Director’s intelligence budget.
According to PNP officials, of their P36 million budget for anti-illegal drugs operations, P20 million came from congressional insertion from the Senate. This means the actual amount allotted by the PNP is only P18 million.
“We pity our Anti-Illegal Drugs Group [AIDG]. The P36 million budget, which is equivalent to P2 million monthly, is not enough,” said Acop.
Meanwhile, lawyer Roselyn Borja, officer-in-charge and deputy director-general for Administration of PDEA, said P317.33 million has been allotted for the agency’s anti-illegal operations, including an intelligence fund of P73 million, under its maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) budget for 2016.
Borja said the PDEA gives assistance to the PNP. Moreover, she said the monetary rewards for “Operation Private Eye” of all law enforcement agencies come from the PDEA’s P73-million intelligence fund.
