PDEA seizes P1.5M worth of shabu from suspect

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) arrested an alleged drug pusher in a shopping mall and seized from him P1.5 million worth of shabu, the agency said in a statement on Friday.

PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said anti-narcotics agents - rested Michael Donaire Requiz at about 11 a.m. on Nov. 20 after he sold to a poseur-buyer three transparent plastic bags containing shabu weighing 300 grams worth P1.5 million in a basement parking lot of a mall along EDSA in Mandaluyong City.

Requiz is temporarily under the custody of PDEA ROIV-A pending

Requiz will be charged with violation of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs), and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Prosecutor, Mandaluyong City.

He was one of the 469 drug suspects arrested since PDEA took over the war on drugs. Eightyone of the suspects nabbed were “high-value” targets, according to PDEA’s data. P62.5477 million worth of illegal drugs were report

PDEA spokesman Derrick Carreon said that only one drug suspect was killed in the agency’s operations since it took over the drug war. This was former Army soldier Roel Valcurza Sahiron, who was killed on October 18 after an alleged shootout with agents in Davao del Norte.

On Thursday, PDEA welcomed the planned return of the Philippine National Police (PNP) as the lead agency in the government’s controversial war on drugs.

“PDEA welcomes the decision of the President. It has been the desire of PDEA that PNP return Aquino said in a statement.

Aquino admitted that PDEA lacked in resources and manpower. The agency has only 1,791 personnel, 928 of which are drug enforce

“PDEA has repeatedly admitted that it is undermanned, under budget, and underequipped, hence, the need for other law enforcement agencies particularly the PNP,” Aquino said.