Joint Philippines -China task force vs illegal drugs proposed

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Richard Gordon pushed yesterday for closer cooperation between the Philippines and China against illegal drugs to include the formation of a joint body to help interdict and prosecute drug lords.

Gordon made the proposal after the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned this week China’s Ambassador Zhao Jianhua to discuss the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country.

The senator said a joint task force could be created to identify patterns of passengers and gather collective intelligence, initiate capacity building initiatives against transnational trafficking of drugs and have the Chinese involved in drug trade to be arrested in China, among others.

Gordon noted that Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa had confirmed that bulk of the illegal drugs entering the country come from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Given China’s robust security system, its own government could easily interdict the drugs and personnel coming out of China, Gordon said.

“China recognizes the problem of illegal drugs as shown by its assiduous efforts – through its draconian security network – in arresting Filipinos and nationals of other countries who are arrested upon arrival as drug mules and now face the death penalty,” he said.

“We should tell China: ‘in your country, when a Filipino (drug mule) enters, you arrest them… but you allow your people to come here to sell drugs after manufacturing them there, and they continue even while in prison,” Gordon said, referring to reports that convicted Chinese drug lords in the New Bilibid Prison continue to do brisk business.

He said one effective way of fighting illegal drugs in the country is to stop its source.

He said the government should “aggressively inform China that you are causing a problem to my country, to our country.”

The drug problem in the Philippines has reached serious proportions as it has adversely affected around 3.7 million Filipinos who have become either drug users or pushers, of which one million are young persons who are either in or out of school, officials told the Senate during a hearing last week.

 Zhao told Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay during their meeting on Monday that the Chinese government would work with Philippine authorities on the matter.