A total of P61.69 billion worth of illegal drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals (CPECs) and laboratory equipment were seized by anti-narcotic agents within the five-year period of the administration of President Duterte.
In PDEA’s #RealNumbersPH data released Wednesday, July 28, it was reported that 832 drug dens and clandestine laboratories have been dismantled so far while a total of 22,461 out of the 42,045 barangays (villages) have been declared drug-cleared in the country as of June 30, 2021.
At present the same report revealed that 12,852 barangays have yet to be cleared of illegal drugs with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and PDEA assuring the continuous campaign against illegal drugs.
PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon explained in past interviews that before a barangay is declared free from illegal drug activities, the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) must convene and validate the non-availability of drug supply in the area and the absence of drug transit activity, clandestine drug laboratory and chemical warehouse, marijuana cultivation site, drug den, drug pushers and users.
With the “Barangay PDEA” program, PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said that the scheme would provide the public with a more comprehensive platform of information on the harm reduction initiatives of the community-based Drug Rehabilitation Program and Balay Silangan, both drug intervention programs for surrendering drug users and pushers that would help them be re-integrated in the society and become productive citizens.
The same PDEA report indicated that 12,608 high-value targets (HVTs) were nabbed in the country with President Duterte giving strict orders on the crackdown of illegal drug transactions in the country.
Among those arrested HVTs were 307 foreign nationals, 386 elected officials, 489 government employees and 119 uniformed personnel.
The report also disclosed that the arrested HVTs also include 5,318 individuals who were apprehended in “high impact” operations, 3,575 target-listed suspects, 1,264 drug den maintainers, 783 drug group leaders/members, 273 included on wanted lists, 72 armed-group members and 22 prominent personalities.
PDEA disclosed that 298,348 individuals involved in illegal drugs were arrested while 6,165 persons died in the 207,007 anti-illegal drug operations with 3,800 children linked to the drug trade rescued by government authorities.
The minors rescued include 2,227 pushers, 932 possessors, 416 drug users, 197 visitors of drug dens, nine drug den maintainers, 14 drug den employees and one lab employee.
After the court proceedings, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) noted that the rescued minors will be turned over to the Bahay Pag-asa centers of the local government units (LGUs) within eight hours of police custody before being turned over to the DSWD.
Since they are minors, the DSWD said they would not be put in the same cells with hardened criminals. (Chito A. Chavez)