PNP anti-shabu drive boosts haul to P5.4 B

MANILA, Philippines - Authorities seized P5.42 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in 2013, nearly double the value of illegal drugs confiscated in the previous year.

Senior Superintendent Bartolome Tobias, chief of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Operations Task Force (AIDSOTF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), cited close coordination with other law enforcement agencies for the record haul of illegal drugs.

“Our drive against illegal drugs is comprised mainly of supply constriction, demand reduction, internal cleansing, liaising with foreign agencies, intelligence-sharing and legal offensive,” Tobias said.

He said collaboration and close monitoring of cases, as well as the “internal cleansing” helped the AIDSOTF and the PNP achieve a 72 percent conviction rate in drug cases this year.

From July 1, 2013 to July 31 of this year alone, Tobias said the PNP-AIDSOTF conducted 10 anti-illegal drug operations consisting of three buy-busts, two search warrants, two police interdictions and three joint operations that led to the arrest of 26 drug personalities, including two Chinese. He said 16 cases were also filed in court.

He said 559.392 kilos of shabu and 268.278 kilos of ephedrine amounting to P3.2 billion were also seized.

“We’ve greatly surpassed our goals for 2014,” Tobias said.

He said the PNP-AIDSOTF has adopted a strict case monitoring and reporting system that compels officers involved in the arrests to attend court hearings and see through the resolution of cases.

He said many drug cases in the past were dismissed because officers involved failed to attend hearings.

He said officers who fail to follow up or pursue cases in courts face sanctions.