Manila: The Marcos administration's anti-drug campaign has so far netted PHP30.29 billion worth of narcotics in the first six months of the year, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported on Tuesday.
According to Philippines News Agency, the PDEA spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut highlighted the significant confiscation of illegal drugs, including shabu, marijuana, cocaine, and ecstasy. Calulut disclosed that an impressive 4.3 tons of shabu were seized, compared to just 1.7 tons in the previous year. He noted major operations that led to the confiscation of 1.3 tons of floating shabu and 1.4 tons from a fishing vessel.
PDEA conducted 19,765 anti-illegal drug operations across Luzon, including the National Capital Region, Regions 3, and 4A, as well as Regions 7 and 8 in Visayas and Region 11 in Mindanao. The operations resulted in the arrest of 26,051 drug suspects, including 1,551 high-value targets. Among these high-value targets, 27 were foreigners, predominantly Chinese nationals.
Calulut also provided statistics on the legal actions taken, with 24,869 cases filed and 14,671 resolved. Cases were filed against 27,617 individuals, leading to 10,665 convictions and 11,397 individuals convicted.
Between January and June, 4,027 barangays were declared drug-cleared. Since 2017, a total of 29,436 barangays have been cleared out of 42,000. The current administration has established 608 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers nationwide, offering a second chance to former drug dependents and offenders.
In terms of rehabilitation efforts, 9,791 drug offenders completed reformation programs, with 2,774 gaining employment. Calulut emphasized the ongoing support for reformed individuals and noted that 1,493 individuals are still undergoing rehabilitation.
The PDEA official urged the public to report illegal drug activities via the Facebook page 'Isumbong Mo Sa PDEA' or through contact numbers 0995-354-7020 and 0931-027-8212. The agency also called for public support in drug rehabilitation and reformation efforts and encouraged community vigilance against drug influence.
