PDEA-6 lacks concrete plans to curb illegal drugs problem
With the apparent increase in the number of drug-affected barangays in the city, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6 seems to have no concrete plans to curtail the illegal drugs problem.
In the PDEA-6 report presented by its assistant regional director Paul Ledesma during last Tuesday's City Peace and Order Council (CPOC) meeting, the agency centered its plans and programs on the deployment of new drug enforcement officers from the PDEA academy to various cities and provinces; continuous conduct of anti-drug symposiums to workplaces, educational institutions, non-government organizations, local government units and various religious groups.
PDEA's plans and programs also include the continuous conduct of intelligence seminars, workshops with other law enforcement units regarding policies and guidelines in the proper conduct of anti-drug operations and its documentation and procurement of multi-media projector for anti-drug symposiums, seminars, workshops and trainings for other law enforcement units, non-government organizations, local government units, workplaces and various religious groups.
Copies of the PDEA report was distributed to the members of the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps. Surprisingly, PDEA's plan did not include its action plan on the supply reduction and demand reduction. PDEA is now the lead agency in the conduct of operations against the proliferation of illegal drugs.
In their comparative report, PDEA disclosed the increase in the number of affected barangays as well as the number of personalities included in their watch list.
Based on the PDEA report, 18 barangays in the city are seriously affected by illegal drugs, 35 barangays are moderately affected and 127 barangays are slightly affected.
Practically, all the 180 barangays in the city have been considered drug-affected or an increase of more than 30 percent from 55 barangays last year.
The same report, however, did not identify the name of the barangays considered seriously affected by illegal drugs.
The number of drug personalities behind the distribution and sale of illegal drugs which does not include users likewise rose from 64 personalities in 2007 to 307 this year.
The PDEA also reported that the current street price of shabu is P10,000 per gram, marijuana P30 per gram or P15,000 per kilo and ecstasy is sold for P1,800 per tablet.
The number of pending cases relative to illegal drugs also registered an increase from 909 cases to 945 cases. There are 426 pending cases in Branch 36 and 519 cases in Branch 25 of the Iloilo Regional Trial Court.
The report also stated that the joint team of the PDEA, Regional Anti-illegal Drugs Special Operations Group of the Police Regional Office 6 and the Iloilo City Police Office have conducted five operations in June and six in July with 18 persons arrested.