Gov’t now targeting higher echelons of drug syndicates: Abella

October 12, 2017

The anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration is now more focused on the higher echelons of drug syndicates after the distribution on the streets has been degraded, Malacanang said on Thursday.

This was after President Rodrigo Duterte issued a memorandum telling the Philippine National Police and other agencies concerned that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency is now the "lead agency" in the operations against illegal drugs.

"What happened is that the street distribution networks of the drug lords have been degraded, so now we target higher echelons of the syndicates as well as their protectors in government," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a press briefing.

He said PDEA would now bring "policy focus, expert performance standards, high-level coordination of oversight, and centralized intelligence collection to the war on drugs."

He noted that PDEA will also establish a broad anti-drug coalition, working with local government units, civil society, Church, business, academe and media to push prevention and rehabilitation initiatives.

"Regarding High Court petitions, we welcome this opportunity to present the legal and policy basis for the nation’s war on drugs. In other words, there is now an elevation of the campaign against illegal drugs and so, PDEA has now widened its scope," Abella explained.

In a Memorandum from the President issued on Oct. 10, 2017, Duterte has said that pursuant to Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002," PDEA shall be the "lead agency" in the investigation of any act in violation of the provisions of this law.

PDEA earlier identified the three biggest sources of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, in the country.

PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino named them as United Bamboo Gang (Bamboo Triad), 14K Triad or Hongkong Triad, and Sun Yee On Triad, which originated from Taiwan; Guangzhou, China; and Hong Kong, respectively. Celerina Monte/DMS