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Friday, March 29, 2024

Palace: Anti-drugs drive will adhere to the rule of law

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Malacanang gave assurance on Thursday that the Marcos administration would adhere to the rule of law while sustaining the campaign against illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Customs (B0C) agents assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Thursday intercepted three packages of illegal drugs valued at P14.7 million.

“The campaign against illegal drugs continues,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a press briefing.

Angeles said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. to come up with policies ensuring that the anti-narcotics drive remained within the limitations prescribe by the law.

“He gives his trust to the PNP chief in setting policies and directives on anti-narcotics campaign. The PNP chief has said the operation continues, and they will be compliant with the law pursuant to this,” Angeles said.

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Marcos’ predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte launched the intensified but bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

Duterte, in his last days in office, repeatedly urged his successor to support all initiatives that would put an end to the narcotics trade in the country to keep Filipinos safe from the menace.

On Aug. 3, Azurin said the anti-narcotics drive will remain relentless.

Azurin ordered an audit of the drug situation in the country, focusing on areas where prominent drug personalities were killed.

He said the PNP would partner with other government agencies to ensure that the drug supply chain in the country would be “reduced, if not cut totally.”

Azurin also promised to pursue close cooperation with community officials for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug users.

A total of P89.79 billion worth of narcotics, including P77.01 billion worth of shabu, have been seized nationwide, as of last May 31, or a month before Duterte stepped down from office.

According to statistics released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), a total of 345,216 drug suspects have been arrested since July 2016 up to May 2022.

A total of 15,271 high-value targets across the country have also been arrested, including 533 government employees, 406 elected officials, and 127 uniformed personnel, the PDEA records showed.

The document also indicated that 6,252 drug suspects were killed during 239,218 anti-illegal drug operations.

The BoC-NAIA reported that its agents seized an outbound parcel in the DHL warehouse contained 300 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride (HCL), popularly known as shabu, concealed inside a wall sticker.

Two other inbound parcels at the Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City were discovered to contain ecstasy drugs stashed inside cartons and bed sheets.

The contraband was declared as house decor (wall stickers), but subsequent and X-ray inspection showed white crystalline substances images, later established to be shabu valued at P2.04 million.

The second inbound shipment at CMEC was declared “women’s and baby wear gift,” but it turned out to be ecstasy drugs worth P8.9 million. The last shipment, which was undeclared, was also confirmed to have ecstasy pills, valued at P3.8 million.

Customs operatives seized the illegal shipments with the help of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and its K9 unit.

Port officials said they would sustain their vigilance against smuggling of illegal drugs thru enhanced profiling techniques.

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