The Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning to disband all the special operating units of its Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) in a move to overhaul the police anti-narcotics units.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda, Jr. said they are now conducting a thorough study on the matter with the new PDEG director Brig. Gen. Faro Antonio Olaguera taking the lead.
Instead of maintaining the 17 Special Operations Units (SOUs) of the PDEG, Acorda wants the unit's anti-illegal drugs operations to be based on COPLAN, or case operational plan.
“There are plans that we need to make COPLAN-based operations so that all operations are really monitored,” said Acorda.
The PDEG became at the center of the controversy in the past months over allegations of recycling illegal drugs, drugs protection rackets and even direct involvement of its personnel in illegal drugs proliferation in the country.
Dismissed police master sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, who was tagged in the confiscation of 990 kilos of shabu, was the intelligence officer of PDEG in Metro Manila at the time of his arrest.
The two police generals whose courtesy resignations were accepted by President Marcos, and two police colonels who would likely suffer the same fate, used to be connected with PDEG.
The four senior police officers are now the subject of a case build-up for both administrative and criminal charges.
Retired PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. also disclosed the pilferage modus of some PDEG operatives on confiscated illegals—the reason, he said, why never joined on-site presentation of seized drugs to the media.
Currently, at least 40 personnel of PDEG were disarmed and facing charges over the 990 kilos of shabu seized in Manila last year.
Aside from COPLAN-based illegal drugs operations, Acorda also wants the regional and provincial drug enforcement units of the PNP to be at the forefront of aggressive campaigns against illegal drugs.
Acorda earlier ordered a strict vetting process for all the existing personnel of PNP’s PDEG and DEU units across the country, as well as those who want to join the campaign against illegal drugs.
In pursuing reforms in the PDEG and DEUs, Acorda said he just wants to make the illegal drugs campaign to be aggressive but honest.