'Sana all!' 8 illegal drug informants receive P11.6M cash incentives from PDEA
By Chito Chavez
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) rewarded on Thursday, May 22, a total of P11,633,843.48 to eight informants under its Operation: Private Eye (OPE), a scheme that encourages the public to report any suspected illegal drug activities at the grassroots level.
PDEA Director General Isagani R. Nerez commended the informants for providing valuable information that led to the arrest of high-value target drug personalities and the confiscation of considerable amount of illegal drugs.
According to the PDEA, four informants received the biggest reward of P2 million each.
The reports they supplied to authorities resulted in the seizure of 49,705.20 grams of shabu and the arrest of two drug personalities during a buy-bust operation in South Green Heights Village, Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa City on March 14, and confiscation of 39,859.60 grams of shabu and the arrest of one drug personality following a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pantok, Binangonan, Rizal on March 19.
The informants were identified only through their code names and wore full face masks during the ceremony to ensure their security.
The Operation: Private Eye is a PDEA project that provides monetary incentives to civilians who report suspicious drug-related activities. The PDEA assured the public that all information received by the agency from civilian informants were handled with utmost confidentiality.
“In a literal sense, that vigilance pays off -- reliable information in exchange for monetary consideration. Imagine, if more members of the community are vigilant and proactive in combating the drug trade, a vast network of eyes and ears remains at PDEA’s disposal. It is definitely a huge boost for us considering our limited manpower," Nerez emphasized.
The program's reward committee is composed of key PDEA officers and members from the business, academe, and religious sectors with proven integrity and probity. They evaluated, deliberated, and approved a resolution granting monetary rewards to the informants.