The police on Thursday urged Education officials to reconsider their proposal to inspect the lockers and bags of students for narcotics after 12 underage students were arrested in a row of drug dens in Navotas.
In other developments:
• The Bureau of Customs seized some P148 million worth of shabu, ecstasy and dried marijuana leaves hidden in canned goods at the Port of Clark, Pampanga.
The illegal drugs were discovered after the shipments, declared as clothing and canned goods, went through an X-ray examination.
• The Duterte administration’s controversial war against drugs and criminality is an example to the whole world, Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena said on Wednesday.
He again praised President Rodrigo Duterte for curbing the trade in illegal drugs.
In his remarks during the state banquet, Sirisena said despite challenging global and regional economic environment, Duterte managed to steer the country into “prosperity and economic growth.”
“You have led this nation on a road to prosperity, sustaining economic growth, launching and building critical infrastructure, generating employment and securing Philippines people-centric foreign policy effectively,” Sirisena said.
The authorities raided the drug dens at the Navotas Fish Port after a month of surveillance and said some youngsters were selling and using shabu there. The 12 minors rounded up during the raid were all students. Vito Barcelo and Nat Mariano
Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office, said the fight against narcotics will not succeed if more children are involved in the drug trade.
“Our job will not be finished if we just keep on arresting suspects while children are recruited,” Eleazar said.
“Involvement in drugs could start in school. If we can inspect belongings at the malls, why not in schools?
It would be entirely up to school officials and parents to plan the inspection, carry it out and provide counseling to students whose belongings would yield drugs, Eleazar said. Vito Barcelo and Nat Mariano
