Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), warned candidates against colluding with illegal drugs syndicates to ensure their victory in the next year's elections, saying they have already stepped up the monitoring and intelligence-gathering against them.
Eleazar issued the warning as the PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) scored big anew with the confiscation of more than P1 billion worth of shabu in Cavite and Cebu.
“Illegal drugs operation is a lucrative business and we are not discounting the possibility that either some erring candidates would use this for fund-raising or the drug syndicates would offer campaign donations in exchange for protection once they are elected. Hindi natin papayagan ito kaya inatasan ko na ang ating PDEG at Intelligence Group na tingnang mabuti ang ganitong posibilidad (We will not allow this that is why I have already directed the PNP Drug Enforcement Agency and the Intelligence Group to look into this),” said Eleazar.
Eleazar said collusion with illegal drugs syndicates only mean one thing, protection of illegal drugs operations once the candidates they supported win the elections.
He cited the case of mayor in Quezon province who was arrested in 2001 for transporting almost 500 kilos of shabu using an ambulance and the recent incident in June this year wherein a former Maguindanao town mayor was arrested for was caught with a cache of firearms and more than P200,000 worth of illegal drugs.
“Binabalaan ko ang mga kandidato na huwag mamuhunan sa iligal na droga sa kanilang kandidatura dahil ako mismo ang mag-e-expose sa inyo at mangunguna sa pagsampa ng disqualification at mga kaukulang kaso kapag nakakalap kami ng sapat na ebidesya laban sa inyo (I am warning the candidates not to invest on illegal drugs and collude with illegal drugs syndicates because I myself would expose you and lead the filing of disqualification and other cases once we gather evidence against you),” said Eleazar.
“Hindi ko hahayaang mauwi sa wala ang lahat ng hirap at sakripisyo ng PNP sa aming agresibong kampanya laban sa iligal na droga (I will not allow all the hard work and sacrifices of the PNP turn into futility)," he added.
More than P64 billion worth of shabu were seized while 307,521 illegal drugs personalities, including 13,244 High-Value Targets, were arrested in the campaign against illegal drugs since 2016.
Last month, a multi-law enforcement agency operations led by the PDEA and the PNP, resulted in the confiscation of more than P5.5 billion worth of shabu in neturalization of 11 big-time drug traffickers, including the main contact of an international drug syndicate, in a series of operations in Zambales, Bataan and Cavite.
Meanwhile, Eleazar commended the PNP personnel who took part in an operation in Cavite led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) which resulted in the confiscation of more than P1 billion worth of shabu and the arrest of suspects Jorlan San Jose, 26; Joseph Maurin, 38; and Joan Lumanog, 27.
He also lauded the newly-installed Regional Director of Police Regional Office 7, Police Brig. Gen. Roque Eduardo Vega, for the confiscation of almost P41.5 million worth of shabu in two separate operations in Cebu province.