The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) ramped up its nationwide anti-drug campaign over the past week, resulting in the seizure of more than P101 million worth of illegal drugs and the arrest of 101 suspects in a sweeping series of operations across the country.
In a statement, PDEA said operatives conducted 109 anti-illegal drug operations from May 7 to May 14 in coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and local law enforcement units.
The operations targeted drug trafficking networks, marijuana plantations, and the illegal distribution of regulated pharmaceutical drugs from Metro Manila to remote areas in Mindanao and the Cordillera region.
Authorities confiscated around 12 kilograms of suspected shabu, various forms of marijuana, nearly 74,000 fully grown marijuana plants, and thousands of pieces of controlled pharmaceutical drugs commonly diverted for illegal use.
Among the operations conducted were 66 buy-bust operations against street-level and high-value drug personalities, 10 marijuana eradication missions, six interdiction operations, five search and seizure activities, and one search warrant implementation.
PDEA Director General Isagani Nerez said the campaign aimed not only to arrest suspects but also to dismantle organized drug operations.
“This was not just a series of arrests; it was a strategic dismantling of the drug apparatus that destroys our communities,” Nerez said.
“We are sending a message to every drug peddler and cultivator: the law will catch up with you. Let this serve as a clear reminder that illegal drugs have no safe haven in our country,” he added.
One of the major operations took place in Pasay City on May 11, where PDEA-NCR and airport interdiction teams intercepted more than 50,000 tablets of regulated drugs, including Valium and other benzodiazepines, at a courier hub.
In the Cordillera region, authorities destroyed more than 73,980 marijuana plants in Benguet and Kalinga between May 8 and 11, dealing a major blow to large-scale cannabis cultivation operations in the area.
A separate operation in Cebu City on May 13 led to the arrest of a high-value target and the seizure of 1.6 kilograms of suspected shabu worth nearly P11 million.
Meanwhile, anti-drug operations in Davao Oriental and Zamboanga City resulted in the confiscation of more than five kilograms of suspected shabu, among the largest single-day seizures recorded during the weeklong campaign.
Of the 101 individuals arrested, authorities identified 25 as drug pushers, 39 as possessors, 22 as couriers, and several others linked to drug dens and illegal drug operations.
PDEA said all arrested suspects would face charges under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Nerez credited the success of the operations to coordination among law enforcement agencies and continued public cooperation.
“We will not rest. We will continue carrying out our sworn duty to God and country, tirelessly hunting down illegal drug syndicates,” he said.
“Our efforts keep millions of pesos’ worth of drugs away from our youth, bring criminals to justice, and create safer communities.”