SOME 177 police officers have been charged with drug-related offenses including planting of evidence, unlawful arrest, and excessive violence in Metro Manila alone following a more intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign focusing on law enforcers, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Monday.
“Kabila naman niyan ay alam naman natin na kung minsan nadadala ang ating mga opisyal at siyempre hindi natin maaaring pabayaan ‘yan. Kaya’t ang nangyari ay 177 police officers have been charged with drug-related offenses. Including the planting of evidence, unlawful arrest, and excessive violence dito pa lang sa NCR,” President Marcos said in a video message posted on social media.
“We are now pursuing 151,818 court cases by the DOJ (Department of Justice) in 2022 to 2023, with 121,582 naikulong na, itong mga violators tungkol dito sa mga drug trade,” he said.
These data are not just good numbers but real improvement in the continuing fight against the proliferation of illicit narcotics, the President said in highlighting the administration’s thrust to create drug-free communities.
“Para sa amin hindi lang ‘to sa mga magagandang numero kung hindi ay talagang magiging improvement. Pinaganda talaga natin ang komunidad natin, pinapaganda talaga natin ang buhay ng ating mga kababayan, at iniiwas natin ang mga kabataan natin diyan sa pagpasok sa lifestyle ng drug-taking,” he said.
The Marcos administration has reported confiscating around PhP10.41 billion worth of illegal drugs from January to December 2023 and cleared more than 27,000 barangays of narcotics under President’s new approach to address the drug menace.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that aside from confiscating large volume of illegal drugs, it arrested 56,495 suspects after conducting more than 44,000 anti-illegal drug operations.
Through the consolidated efforts of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the PNP, the government cleared 27,968 barangays of illegal drugs, with 23 provinces, 447 municipalities, and 43 cities establishing their respective community-based drug rehabilitation programs (CBDRPs) as of December 27, 2023, the administration said in a separate annual accomplishment report.
The report added that 50 provinces, 1,160 municipalities, and 30 cities have functional Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) implementing anti-drug priorities at the local level. In addition, 74 established in-patient treatment and rehabilitation facilities were also put up.
President Marcos administration has been carrying out a new approach to address illegal drugs by focusing on rehabilitation, reintegration, and preventive education programs specifically for the youth.
