SEN. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has filed a resolution urging an investigation on the alleged “new modus operandi” of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency paying its “assets” or informants 30 percent of confiscated illegal drugs in successful operations.
Dela Rosa, who filed Senate Resolution No. 508 last February 28, said an investigation is called for since the “alleged new policy” of PDEA “is disturbing as this perpetuates the circulation of illegal drugs in the streets by the government agency that is tasked to fight illegal drugs.”
Dela Rosa filed the resolution after PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo, during a House hearing last month, said “that allegedly there is (a) new modus operandi wherein instead of paying cash reward, PDEA gives their informants or assets 30 percent of the total seized illegal drugs which is clearly an illegal practice.”
In that hearing, Lazo revealed their “assets” had once asked him for 30 percent of any seized illegal drugs as their reward. He said he turned down the recommendation, saying “we are only to give then the monetary value through our rewards system.”
Dela Rosa said for the fight against illegal drugs to be successful, there is a need to ensure that such fight must be imbued with “integrity and honor, without compromising the values that our institutions and agencies stand for.”
“PDEA has an annual confidential fund allocation used for the payment of rewards to encourage the public to report to authorities the illegal drug activities in their communities,” he added.
In 2021, PDEA reported that 1,673 out of 2,155 drug-related high-value targets were arrested in 619 “high impact” anti-illegal drug operations, while 885 out of the 1,549 drug-related information and reports acted resulted to anti-illegal drug operations.
Police seized P106,760 worth of suspected dangerous drugs and arrested a jobless man in a buy-bust operation in Pasig City Sunday night.
Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta, Eastern Police District director, identified the suspect as Ismael Galisim, 34, a resident of Barangay Pinagbuhatan.
PDEA REPORT
Around P592 million worth of illegal drugs were seized by government authorities during anti-illegal drug operations in January, according to a PDEA report to Malacanang.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said based on the operational assessment report submitted by PDEA yesterday, the operations led to the confiscation of P403.4 million worth of shabu; P15.9 million worth of cocaine powder; P19.9 million ecstasy tablets; P19.8 million worth of kush and “millions worth of marijuana in forms of dried leaves, bricks, plants, and stalks.”
PDEA said their operations led to the arrest of 4,499 drug personalities and the filing of 7,720 drug cases.
The agency also conducted around 257,588 Preventive Education and Community Involvement (PECI) activities and established 111 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers, producing around 2,000 graduates and employing 894 individuals to help reduce demand for illegal drugs. It also reported that 300,000 Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) in drug-cleared villages also underwent community-based drug rehabilitation programs, while 67,045 PWUDs were given intervention programs.
It also reported that under its Barangay Drug Clearing Program, 26,952 barangays, or 64.1 percent, were declared drug-free out of 42,046 barangays nationwide while
8,585 barangays or 20.4 percent remain drug-affected, with Metro Manila recording the highest number of drug-affectation with 53.9 percent.
PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil, in a news release, said authorities have intensified their surveillance and monitoring of the country’s airports, seaports, as well as mail and parcel services to prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs and controlled precursors and essential chemicals into the country.
“Looking forward, PDEA is strengthening the implementation of its anti-illegal drugs strategies, particularly focusing on suppressing supply by intensifying the conduct of intelligence-driven and high-impact operations, arrest of top-level drug personalities, enhancing inter-agency collaboration and strengthening efforts in drug entry points to deter smuggling,” Garafil said. — With Jocelyn Montemayor and Christian Oineza
