PNP - PDEA to fight drugs

ALTHOUGH the war on drugs have been placed under the administration of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the needed support will still come from the Philippine National Police.

PDEA-CAR Information Office Joseph Calulut explained despite having only 82 PDEA agents and personnel, the agency will have to do with what it has.

"This is really a huge task for us being the sole agency in charge on the war on drugs but it is not only the PDEA, we also have other counterparts like the Barangay Drug Abuse Councils, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other members agency of the ICAD or Inter-Agency Committee on Anti illegal Drugs", the Attorney said.

Once an operation is undertaken, the PDEA may get the services of the PNP and the AFP for security, aside from the application of search warrants for would be suspects to be apprehended, particularly those identified as high risk targets.

Meanwhile, PDEACar noted the use of shabu as still the leading drug of choice by drug users followed by marijuana which is planted in Cordillera but is shipped out of the region and sold to different parts of the country, while shabu is being shipped inside Car.

Calulut defined what declarations be-

ing “drug free” and “drug cleared” implies "Under the classification of barangays, number 1 is the drug unaffected barangays which have not recorded the presence or use of any drugs, while drug affected barangays deals with the resurgence of drugs in their area which have not been revalidated yet by the oversight committee following the 30 day letter given by PDEA to the barangays in the province's to act on based on the 14 parameter mandate by law which it has to meet before re-declaring them as drug affected once more".

To date, a total of 8 barangays have been declared as drug affected with 6 listed in Baguio and 2 from Benguet, 4 barangays in the city was listed as drug un-affected, while the remaining provinces were placed under drug cleared status.

"When we say drug cleared barangays, these barangays conducted drug clearing operations and they have complied with the parameters set by law, but if they were listed as drug affected, they will never revert back to drug unaffected, but will be under drug affected or drug cleared", the Information Officer added.