Drug proliferation in schools exists but not rampant – PDEA
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) admitted to the fact that proliferation of illegal drugs in schools do exist. However, it is far from being rampant, as far as campuses in Western Visayas are concerned.
PDEA Regional Director Paul Ledesma instead pointed to barangays situated near schools as haven of illegal drugs.
Ledesma revealed this, as PDEA is gearing up for a series of activities taking a two-prong approach in the fight against illegal drugs in the advent of school opening.
Inside the school campuses, PDEA would be concentrating on doing anti-drug symposia.
From the usual awareness campaign of tackling the different types of drugs and their ill-effects on an individual’s health, Ledesma said that that they would also take up the different modus operandi used of drug pushers and syndicates.
“We would delve into topics of penalties involving the illegal use, transport, and sale of illegal drugs. We would also explain to the students the consequences of their being with illegal drug personalities and their presence in drug dens,” he added.
The PDEA regional chief surmised that through this approach, the students would be more wary and afraid to enter into illegal drug use and trade.
Presently, Ledesma said that they have no statistics on the number of students who hooked in illegal drugs and the prevalence of illegal drug use and trade within the confines of school campuses.
But now, instead of pushers bringing in drugs into schools, PDEA noted that drug personalities opted for students to buy illegal drugs at their turf.
“Through that way, the risk is somehow minimized. Drug peddlers knew that they are also being watched,” Ledesma said.
In most instances, the PDEA regional chief noted that a number of pushers employ students – be it a an elementary pupil or college students – as runners for the illegal drug business.
“They knew that under Republic Act 9344, we could not arrest these minors. So, instead of the law working against these criminals, they use it to shield themselves,” Ledesma said.
He also noted that users tend to avoid using drugs while at party places, like the Smallville Complex in Iloilo City.
“They also knew that we have people there looking after them,” he added.
With a lot of tasks ahead of them, Ledesma said that they remain steadfast despite a manpower of 29 drug enforcement agents and 12 plantilla workers all over the region.
