Government anti-narcotics agents seized around P278 million worth of shabu on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.

In a press briefing, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic’’ Remulla said the confiscation brought to P95.6 billion the total amount of illegal drugs seized under Marcos administration in just a span of three years.

“Panahon ni president GMA (Gloria Macapagal Arroyo) ang nakuhang value ay P77.9 billion in nine years. Sa panahon ni president Aquino P29.8 billion in six years, panahon ni PRD (president Rodrigo Duterte) P91.16 billion in six years (During the time of GMA P77.9 billion of illegal drugs were confiscated. In the tenure of president Aquino P29.8 billion of illegal drugs were confiscated in six years, in PRD’s term it was P91.16 billion in six years),’’ Remulla emphasized.

Remulla said that joint law enforcement groups  coordination resulted in the reduction of the production and supply side of illegal drugs.

The DILG chief also noted that large sums of illegal drugs were seized in the country’s coastline as supplies were cut upon entry to local shores.

“Ang seizure ang nabalita na si (Albuera, Leyte mayor (Kelvin) Espinosa ay inaresto din on the same charges na drug lord doon ss South. Ganon din ang operations niya , naaresto narin siya (The seizure led to the information of mayor Espinosa’s involvement who was also arrested on the same charges for being a drug lord in the south. It is similar to his operations, he was eventually arrested),’’ Remulla stressed.

Further, Remulla said the government is curtailing the supply side and not the distribution aspect of the illegal drug campaign, citing that big suppliers are nabbed and not merely the killing the small fish distributors.

During the same briefing, the PDEA described the confiscation of approximately 41 kilograms as one of the largest drug interdictions to date, highlighting the strength of inter-agency collaboration and invaluable assistance of foreign counterparts in the government’s intensified campaign against illegal drugs.

“The operation was a product of information sharing from foreign counterparts that highlighted the capabilities of BOC’s x-ray screening process and PDEA’s Narcotics Detection Dogs (NDDs),’’ PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said.

“The interception of the shabu shipment at the port represents prevention at its strongest, stopping the threat before it could reach our streets, schools, and communities,” Nerez noted.