Dela Rosa doubts PDEA can handle anti-illegal drug campaign

October 13, 2017

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald Dela Rosa expressed doubt that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will be able to handle the government's anti – illegal drug campaign.

"He (President Rodrigo Duterte) is just following the law. The law says that PDEA should be the lead (agency)… (but) PDEA cannot handle it,” he said in a television interview.

“You can imagine the vacuum that we will be leaving behind. Right now we have 185,000 policemen focus on war on drugs then they will back off. Only the 1,700 PDEA including their administrative personnel will be left there,” he added.

But Dela Rosa hoped PDEA can manage the task that was given to them by the president.

“I hope PDEA will able to handle it,” he said.

On  Wednesday, Duterte directed the law enforcement agencies including the PNP to stop the anti-illegal drug operations and ordered the PDEA to lead the campaign.

It is the second time Duterte suspended the war on drugs operation of the PNP this year.

The first suspension which was lasted for just a month was ordered by Duterte early this year following the discovery of the murder of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo inside Camp Crame.

In a radio interview, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino admitted the agency was not able to accomplish a lot during the first time the fight against illegal drugs was transferred to them last February.

“We were not able to have a big accomplishment because we are not supported by the PNP and other law enforcement agencies on the implementation of war against illegal drugs,” Aquino said.

Aquino also expressed hope Duterte will lift the order he issued to stop the illegal drug operations of PNP and other law enforcement agencies except PDEA.

“I just hope that this is just a temporary decision of the president. Hopefully, you can just imagine even when we were working with other law enforcement agencies it is still difficult for us, how much more that it is only the PDEA that will lead (the anti-drug war),” he said.

“There is no problem if our strength is the same as the PNP with almost 200,000 (personnel), there will be no problem”, he added. Robina Asido/DMS