President Rodrigo Duterte‘s administration has been able to clear more than half of 34,032 drug-affected villages in the country, as it continues to step up its fight against narcotics trade.
Around 18,284 out of 42,045 villages nationwide have already been declared drug-free from July 1, 2016 to Jan. 31, 2020, according to the latest and official data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency released on Monday.
Only 15,748 villages have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs—these barangays are either slightly, moderately or seriously affected. Over 8,000 out of the 42,055 villages are considered “unaffected”.
A total of 508,364 drug suspects have so far turned themselves in to authorities and availed of the government’s recovery and reformation programs.
The conduct of about 157,275 anti-drug operations has led to the arrest of 228,678 drug offenders and the death of 5,601 others, as of January 31.
Data showed some 8,811 high-value drug targets have been arrested by authorities.
Three hundred and six of these 8,811 high-value drug personalities are elected public officials, 85 are uniformed personnel, and 350 are government employees.
Around 10 prominent personalities, 726 leaders and members of drug syndicates, 856 drug den maintainers, 61 armed group members, and 225 foreign nationals are likewise considered high-value targets.
Also deemed high-value drug personalities are the 3,349 individuals arrested from “high impact operations” and the 2,259 others included in the “target list.”
The government has likewise been able to rescue around 2,915 children aged four to 17 who have links to illegal drugs.
It has also dismantled some 508 drug dens and 114 clandestine laboratories in the country.
More than 5,000 kilos of shabu worth P32.92 billion have so far been seized by authorities.
Duterte has repeatedly vowed to go after drug personalities in his remaining years in office.
In a February 26 speech delivered at Malacañan Palace, Duterte said his war on illegal drugs remains relentless.
“Sa mga durugista, sinabi ko talaga (I’m telling you) — and I admit without any excuses — I said, ‘Huwag mong sirain ang bayan ko. P*****
i** mo, papatayin kita (Do not ruin my country. I will kill you, son of a b****),” he said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday urged the Duterte administration to admit its failure in the war on illegal drugs, and address the problem based on data and evidence.
“To me, I have the expectations that there will be acceptance of shortcoming even before. I’m hoping we are moving forward, that we are data-driven, and that the decision is evidence-based so we could see what are the needs based on the data,” she said.
“The campaign against illegal drugs has already being ongoing for three years. The data are not that clear. The metrics are not clear as well as the targets. So, this would be the right time to correct the mistake,” she added.
“I hope they could set the metrics well so that these could be the gauge if what one is doing is tantamount if one’s target could be achieved. We have no choice but to be hopeful, be hopeful to be better compared before,” she noted.
“Just like what I have been saying in the past, many of the members at the Interagency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs are very professional. Many of them are not politicians who just want to put the campaign in order. Hoping we could take advantage of those talents. (Because” that would just be too bad,” she said.
She welcomed the appointment of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chairperson Dante Jimenez as ICAD co-chairperson.
“I am glad hearing what the new ICAD chairman has said that he would focus on the constriction of supply because it is where we have not really performed well. But to me, focusing on the supply must not let us forget the rehabilitation and integration (of offenders) since many advocates and groups are willing to help,” she said.
“We must have a systematic program to pursue (the drug supply reduction). I hope our efforts would not go into waste. I hope that in focusing in the supply side, we do not forget the gains we have already achieved when I was still there (at ICAD),” she added.