PDEA-7 to focus on high value targets
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) - 7 has said that they will focus their efforts more on capturing high value targets (HVT), given that they have limited manpower to lead the antiillegal drug operations in the entire Central Visayas.
PDEA-7 Spokesperson Leia Albiar said this is also as per the directive of PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino.
“Mao na ang marching order sa atong Director General nga focus sa mandate nga HVT gyud ang kuhaon,” said Albiar in a phone interview.
PDEA-7 only has a total of 95 personnel, 49 of which are drug enforcement officers.
Aside from limited manpower, PDEA-7 also faces the challenge of limited capacity of their detention cell, being the sole agency in the region responsible for the war against illegal drugs.
PDEA-7’s detention cell has a maximum capacity of 30 males and 10 females.
Albiar said that they will just have to maximize their efforts in filing the cases against those arrested so that they will be immediately committed to jail.
For his part, Police Senior Superintendent Jonathan Cabal, chief of Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 - Regional Intelligence Division, said that they are willing to help PDEA in terms of detaining arrested drug personalities.
However, he added that they also need the budget from PDEA for food, lighting and water expenses of the detainees.
“The Regional Director wants us to help PDEA in whatever capacity we can,” said Cabal.
Albiar added that to address their manpower shortage problem, PDEA-7 is in need of more applicants willing to become one of PDEA’s drug enforcement officers.
PDEA-7 aims to increase their acceptance rate to 1,000 applicants especially now that PDEA is creating satellite offices in Bohol, Siquijor, and Dumaguete.
The agency’s aim is to create sub-offices in every municipality for a wider operation.
In the continuing efforts against illegal drugs, PDEA-7 operatives arrested a high value target and seized suspected shabu worth P300,000 during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Duljo Fatima, Cebu City around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Manilyn Alvez, 33, was under surveillance for a week before the operation was conducted.
Police found in her possession four packs of suspected shabu weighing at least 60 grams with Dangerous Drug Board value of P300,000.
Albiar said that they received information about the suspect’s involvement in illegal drugs which prompted them to conduct the surveillance operation. She added that the Alvarez’s husband was apprehended during one of the PNP’s operation earlier this year.
Allegedly, Alvarez is able to dispose 200-500 grams of suspected shabu weekly, making her a high value target.