Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said on Wednesday that it is high time for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Dangerous Drugs Board to go after the so-called big fish since law enforcers had already proven that they are capable of going after street peddlers.
“You have to refocus because the police are now capable of going after street peddlers,” he said.
“You have to concentrate on those at the higher levels,” he said during the Senate hearing on the budgets of the two agencies for 2019.
Lacson said there is a need for stricter coordination at the upper levels against the entry of illegal drugs into the country.
Illegal drugs, he said, slip past the Bureau of Customs from time to time, and find their way into the hands of drug peddlers, many of whom mix them with candy or deodorizer to maximize their profits.
The PDEA is the specialized agency implementing the government’s efforts against illegal drugs, while the DDB is the policy-making body.
Under the National Expenditure Program, the PDEA is set to get P1.979 billion, while the DDB will get P258.324 million for 2019. The PDEA has asked for an additional budget of P2.58 billion for next year.
Lacson also told the PDEA to address the issue of illegal drugs in its custody that had been seized and are being kept as evidence in court cases.
He said the weakness in the chain of custody had resulted in technicalities that lead to the dismissal of cases.
Presently, the PDEA has some P9.7 billion worth of seized illegal drugs in its custody.
“I think you should do something about the excessive quantity of dangerous drugs still in your possession… Medyo mind-boggling ang P9.7 billion worth of dangerous drugs,” Lacson said.