Just work together
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has accomplished a lot in a month since they were appointed by President Duterte to take the lead in operations against illegal drugs. According to the PDEA's data, 1,341 operations were conducted, where 404 pushers and users were arrested, and more than P53 million worth of drugs have been seized. According to PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino, they have accomplished this by a "shift in the agency's operational thrusts to reduce the number of high-value targets through the conduct of high-impact and quality counter-drug operations". In other words, they targeted known suppliers of illegal drugs, and not just the poor users in the streets where a few packets of drugs are found, usually after a supposed gunfight where the suspects "fought back" and wound up dead. One should note that none of the PDEA's operations resulted in gunfights where suspects are killed. There are no instances where suspects fought back and ended up dead. Despite the fact that they are undermanned, underfunded, and underequipped, they will do what is not expected of them, succeed.
I have yet to hear from President Duterte, or even the Palace commending the PDEA for what they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. Perhaps it is because they do not have a body count to show. What I have heard was the obvious sarcasm from PNP chief Gen. Dela Rosa in asking if there were rape-murder incidents when they were in charge of anti-drug operations. A string of rape-murder crimes have occurred in the past weeks. But shouldn't he say that the police are on the case and working hard to solve the crimes, arrest the criminals and bring them to justice, instead of using them as an opportunity to glorify themselves? Isn't crime-solving the job of the police?
Actually I do not understand why the president has to appoint an agency to lead the operations against illegal drugs. The PDEA has always had the mandate to go after the illegal drug trade. So why don't the PDEA and the PNP just work together? Isn't it their sworn duty to fight crime, in all its forms? Or does the PNP prefer its own measure of success, without having to work with any other agency? Is the PNP just raring to be assigned as the lead agency once more, so they can continue with the body count that this administration seems to prefer over just arresting big suppliers, no matter how large the haul of drugs?
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