Marcos touts P62 billion shabu seized in just 3 years

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos are beginning to see the “good effects” of the administration’s bloodless war on drugs, President Marcos declared yesterday, as he cited the seizure of at least P62 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu in just a span of three years.

Marcos led the inspection of the recovered 1,304.604 kilograms of shabu valued at P8.87 billion at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) headquarters in Quezon City.

Fishermen recently found the drug haul in batches drifting in the waters off the provinces of Zambales, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Cagayan, according to PDEA.

The President is expected to lead today the destruction of the recovered illegal narcotics, along with 226.043 kilograms of assorted dangerous drugs valued at around P609 million in Capas, Tarlac.

“What will happen now is, like what you’re seeing here, ‘no case filed nor person apprehended,’ because these were recovered, gathered by the fishermen from the sea and surrendered to authorities,” Marcos said in English and Filipino.

“So, what we will do now is ensure the proper disposal of these drugs so they won’t slip back to the black market,” he said.

With the President during the inspection were Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and PDEA officials led by director general Isagani Nerez.

Marcos invited members of the media to witness the destruction of the drug haul to ensure transparency and prevent the contraband from getting recycling.

“We know of cases where drugs seized – let’s say 100 kilograms – were tampered, repackaged and made to appear like there were only 20 kilograms, and the 80 kilograms were set aside only to end up again in the streets,” he said in Filipino.

“So, I would suggest that the press attend that. Watch the testing. You make it transparent so the people will know what we’re doing. We will watch the testing, the chemical testing and eventually their being placed in the incinerator to destroy all of this,” the Chief Executive said.

According to Marcos, the P8.87 billion in seized illegal narcotics represented the largest drug haul in Philippine history, in the last six months alone.

“All in all, in the last three years, we have been able to interdict P62 billion worth of methamphetamine, which is the largest, considering the time that we are putting it under the three years only,” the President said.

Marcos ordered authorities to continue the “peaceful” war against illegal drugs, which he said “is working.”

“It has been described as a bloodless war on drugs. And this is what we are aiming for. But nonetheless, despite the fact that we do not kill people that are just suspected of having anything to do with drugs, instead of doing that, we are handling the drug problem in a different way,” he said.

“So, that is what we are continuing to do. We are hitting the drug trade at the highest level and at the lowest level. And we are beginning to see some measure of success. So, we’ll continue this,” he said, noting the government’s strengthened prevention and rehabilitation programs.

“The new concept of the war against drugs is working. So, we will continue down that vein. And I think we are beginning to see the good effects of that new policy,” the President said.

No pilferage

Chemists from PDEA, Nerez said, will stay at the site for 12 hours after the illegal drugs are destroyed to ensure even the residues are useless.

“No less than the President ordered PDEA to destroy the floating meth as quickly as possible. After the President’s inspection, the contraband will be destroyed in less than 24 hours,” he said.

Nerez also said the bloodless anti-drug campaign under Marcos is more successful than the controversial war on drugs of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“I say with confidence that in the past many got killed but the volume of drugs seized or recovered was smaller,” he said.

He also assured the public that pilferage of drugs is unlikely as PDEA operations are always done in coordination with the PNP and other law enforcement agencies.

“We have enhanced our counter-intelligence measures so we can immediately detect attempts at pilferage,” he said.

In a statement on Marcos’ inspection of the drug haul, Speaker Martin Romualdez reaffirmed the chamber’s full support for the administration’s intensified but bloodless anti-drug campaign.

“This is a fight for the soul of our nation, and with President Bongbong Marcos Jr. at the helm, we are fighting this battle with truth, with justice and with the Filipino people by our side,” Romualdez said.

He called Marcos’ approach to fighting illegal drugs “a bold and humane strategy that restores public trust while sending a clear message to drug syndicates that their days are numbered.”

“This is no longer just a campaign – it is a clear policy direction under the Marcos administration: one that rejects violence, upholds the rule of law and mobilizes the whole-of-nation approach in protecting every Filipino community from the scourge of drugs,” he said.

Romualdez commended President Marcos for an anti-drug campaign anchored on coordination, intelligence-driven operations and community participation.

“This proves that the most powerful weapon in this fight is not fear, but trust, vigilance and unity between government and people,” he said.

Romualdez also said the House is ready to pass legislation that supports interdiction, maritime and border control, intelligence fusion and the rehabilitation of drug users. — Emmanuel Tupas, Jose Rodel Clapano