The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the government seized P43.8 billion worth of illegal drugs since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office in July 2022—three times the value of drugs confiscated during a comparable period under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a press briefing on Tuesday at Camp Crame, PNP public information chief Col. Randulf Tuaño said the Marcos administration’s “bloodless” approach to the drug war has resulted in larger hauls than Duterte’s campaign, which was heavily criticized for its violent methods.
From July 2016 to May 2019, the PNP seized P14.3 billion worth of illegal drugs under Duterte’s controversial crackdown. In contrast, the current administration recorded P43.8 billion in seizures from July 2022 to May 17, 2025.
Tuaño said they expect the figures to increase further now that President Marcos gave an order to not just focus on high-value targets. He emphasized that efforts are now underway to also target small-time drug offenders.
President Marcos has instructed Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy, officer-in-charge of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group, to draft new strategies that include intensified operations against both large-scale traffickers and street-level dealers.
“We will continue pursuing big drug lords and now include small drug offenders in our operations,” Tuaño added in Filipino.
In his third State of the Nation Address last year, Marcos reaffirmed his commitment to a drug policy that avoids violence and extrajudicial killings.