Shabu remains the No. 1 problem in the Philippines, so the Philippine National Police (PNP) is intensifying its relationship with foreign drug enforcement agencies to curb the sale and entry of illegal drugs, particularly shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride.
This was emphasized by PNP chief Gen Guillermo Eleazar after the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced that shabu is the main problem in the Philippines.
“Patuloy ang ating koordinasyon sa mga drug enforcement agencies sa ibang bansa, katuwang ang PDEA [the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] at Bureau of Customs, para mapalakas pa ang ating border controls kontra sa pagpasok ng illegal drugs sa bansa,” said Eleazar.
According to Eleazar, he has also alerted all police units including the Maritime Group to double their vigilance and take security measures against the entry of illegal drugs into the shores.
“Kabi-kabila ang mga nasasabat ng PDEA at PDEG na malakihang bulto ng shabu. Baka kaya din na nasabi nilang talamak pa din ang shabu ay dahil sa mga successful operations,” he added.
In December 2020, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported that 10,721 high-value targets had been arrested during President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, which started in 2016.
Shabu remains number 1 problem in PH: PNP
Government data showed the arrested high-value targets include:
- 287 foreigners
- 362 elected official
- 102 uniformed personnel
- 445 government employees
- 3,098 target listed
- 751 drug group leaders and members
- 66 armed group members
- 1,035 drug den maintainers
- 232 wanted listed
- 18 celebrities
- 4,325 arrests from high impact operations
PDEA added 266,126 drug suspects were arrested in the 183,525 anti-illegal drugs operations conducted since July 1, 2016.
The agency also noted that 5,942 suspected drug personalities were killed, which was way lower than local and international human rights groups claimed that around 27,000 people were killed under Duterte’s war on drugs.
PDEA also reported that 20,538 barangays were already cleared from illegal drugs, while 14,308 others are yet to be cleared. A total of 648 dens and clandestine laboratories have been dismantled, the agency added.
Meanwhile, a total of P46.42 billion worth of shabu were recovered during operations.
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