NextGen Day

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed power and assumed control of maintaining the peace and order necessary to make the nation welcome domestic and foreign commerce and investment.

To realize this objective, efforts must be made to reduce, if not completely eradicate, the illegal drug problem, which claims many lives and causes various social issues, including crime. The Philippine National Police (PNP), which continues to collaborate with other law enforcement organizations and spares no effort in pursuing individuals involved in this malicious activity, is at the forefront of this campaign.

The PNP announced that they had seized drugs worth PHP1.95 billion in the first few months of the Marcos presidency.

These include approximately 2.6 million pieces of fully developed marijuana plants, 202.38 kilos of shabu, 365.4 kilos of dried marijuana leaves, and 37.57 grams of kush or high-grade marijuana.

14,737 suspects were detained due to a total of 12,309 sting and search warrant operations, while 28 armed suspects lost their lives due to resisting arrest.

The PNP conducted 1,790 operations over the first 17 days of September with zero fatalities, showing that the government does not condone extrajudicial executions, especially when they involve drug offenders.

Marcos stated in his speech at an event with Asia Society in New York in September that he wanted to look back and draw lessons from the previous government to continue the anti-drug effort.

Marcos acknowledged that the enforcement aspect of the drug war had been the focus of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, but he said he prefers a more comprehensive strategy.

“Let’s also consider prevention. Let’s educate our young people and let them know they are headed in the wrong direction. You will achieve nothing by doing this. You’ll end up in jail for that. You’ll be killed by it. And even if it does not, your future will be destroyed. The cure is the second component of it. Should be more understanding and sympathetic with individuals who have fallen victim to this way of life. Therefore, we are currently advertising that. The President stated, “We are trying to figure out what the greatest strategies are right now to get our victims out of that culture and to help them start over and to live a good life as good and constructive members — contributing members of society.

Marcos, though, vowed to keep up the aggressive pursuit of high-value targets and important suspects.

“Look, I’m not interested in the kid who makes 100 pesos a week selling pot,” I merely told them. I don’t want you to go after that individual. I want you to target individuals who, if we catch them, neutralize them, lock them up, throw them in prison, whatever it takes, will have an impact on the flow of drugs, their distribution network, and their importation process because a large portion of them do originate from abroad. That will genuinely change things and put an end to them. We are currently working on that,” he continued.

The aggressiveness of the intelligence-driven supply reduction strategy in support of the overall anti-illegal drug campaign, with a strong emphasis on non-violent methods of effecting arrest while ensuring the protection of operating teams when engaged in a violent confrontation with armed suspects, is demonstrated by the significant results of anti-drug operations, according to PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr.

It is important to note that, in these operations, the goal of law enforcement—to make the offender appear in custody—was achieved with the minimal use of reasonable and necessary force; by the need for transparency through digital recording, the presence of witnesses, and the appropriate authority of operating units, stressed Azurin.

He claimed that a combination of preventive, punitive, and restorative measures for internal transformation make up the PNP’s robust anti-crime and anti-drug campaign.

The police are also training on the most effective ways to rescue the victims from this environment and closely collaborate with other organizations to rehabilitate known drug users in every neighborhood.

Let’s work together to prevent drug addiction among our fellow citizens by saying, “Tulong-tulong tayo para mailigtas mula sa pagkalugmok sa droga ang ating mga kababayan. Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, the PNP’s then-administrative commander, said, “While we ensure that there are significant operations against prominent drug dealers, we also would like to look at this strategy holistically.

The justification is that if these key operators are left unaffected, drug supply will always exist, regardless of how much drug activities on the ground are stopped. To precisely identify these individuals, the PNP makes sure that information gathering is rigorous and thorough, he continued.

Participating communities

The Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) primary anti-illegal drug strategy, is where the agency’s supply reduction and demand reduction activities are integrated.

25,917 barangays had been deemed drug-cleared as of August 31; 5,851 had been deemed drug-free, and 9,590 had been deemed drug-affected. From July 1 to August 31, 283 barangays had been deemed drug-cleared, and 70 had been deemed drug-free through the BDCP.

The PDEA hosts symposiums, talks, and other anti-illegal advocacy events to discourage individuals from consuming harmful substances.

The Balay Silangan Reformation Program, which is essential in rehabilitating and reintegrating drug offenders, is being implemented under the direction of PDEA as part of an attempt to reduce demand.

15 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers were opened from July 1 to August 31, bringing the number of centers opened since the organization’s founding in 2018 to 383.

The centers currently serve 1,074 clients and have produced 4,999 graduates and 1,567 employed people.

As the government works to maintain its anti-illegal drug campaign, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has also renewed its appeal for local chief executives (LCEs) to support the development of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) in their respective jurisdictions.

To combat the drug problem at the grassroots level, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., mayor of Mandaluyong City for three terms straight, stressed the need for LCEs helping to build BADACs.

The head of DILG claimed that BADACs are essential to the overall government strategy for halting the spread of illegal substances in communities.

“We call on the governors and mayors to make sure that our BADACs function properly and help protect communities against illegal drugs and their distributors,” Abalos said. “Nanawagan tayo sa mga gobernador at mayors na siguruhin na ang ating mga BADAC ay maayos na gumagana at nakakatulong sa pagprotekta sa mga

To organize barangay officials and other stakeholders as the first line of defense in battling drug-related crimes in barangays, the DILG created BADAC, a grassroots program.

Identifying drug-affected areas, developing the BADAC Plan of Action, educating Barangay Tanods and the BADAC Auxiliary Team on their roles and responsibilities in the fight against illegal drugs, assisting drug users (PWUDs) who turn themselves into the Barangay Rehabilitation and Referral Desk, and monitoring patients undergoing community-based rehabilitation treatment are just a few of its duties.

Ensuring that offenders are jailed

Abalos believes that eliminating the problem requires not just the seizure of drugs but also the incarceration of those responsible. As a result, there is a need to improve the abilities of police detectives who handle drug cases.

“Our police investigators must be knowledgeable in criminal law. Each criminal conduct has unique components, and each detective is highly familiar with these components, “Added he.

He claimed that improving police investigation skills is crucial since it would decide the outcome of a case.

“If this one action is taken, the case will either be dismissed or not. Remember that when it gets to court, proof beyond a reasonable doubt is required in criminal law, “Added he.

According to Abalos, the 220,000-strong PNP only has 22,774 investigators, 123 of whom have law degrees, according to the most recent data.

The PNP and the Department of Justice have teamed up to provide police investigators with a “kind of mentorship” to assist them in compiling legal and reliable evidence.

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