By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s “peaceful” campaign against illegal drugs continues to show results, with P82.58 billion worth of “shabu” and other dangerous drugs seized in the first three years of his administration, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reported.
According to a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release Wednesday, PDEA highlighted that the drug haul under the Marcos administration from July 1, 2022 to June 25, 2025 “has already nearly matched the total haul seized over the entire six-year term of the previous administration.”
“The figure includes 11,039.31 kg of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P75.067 billion; 94.08 kg of cocaine worth P498.624 million; and 140,067 pieces of the party drug methylenedioxymethamphetamine or ecstasy worth P238.113 million,” it said.
“In comparison, about P91.06 billion worth of illegal drugs were confiscated from July 1, 2016, to June 30, 2022—the full term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.”
The government’s lead anti-drug law enforcement agency also noted the interception of P10.2-billion worth of shabu from a fishing vessel in Zambales through an operation conducted by the Philippine Navy on June 20, which puts it among the “highest one-time drug hauls in history.”
PDEA likewise lauded the contributions of local fisherfolk in the turning over of some P8.87 billion worth of shabu they recovered from waters off Luzon from late May until mid-June.
The PDEA report, meanwhile, showed that at least 271 drug personalities were killed in law enforcement operations in the past three years—a stark contrast from the 6,259 slain suspects during the six-year term of the previous administration.
Authorities have so far nabbed around 151,867 drug suspects and rescued some 2,069 minors involved in illegal drugs under the Marcos administration, PDEA added.
During his inspection of the seized illegal drugs, including the floating shabu, at the PDEA national headquarters in Capas, Tarlac on Wednesday, the President underscored that the government’s “bloodless” approach to the drug war has spared many Filipinos from the grip of addiction and overdose.
“Marami tayong nailigtas na mga kababayan natin na kung lumabas ito, ang mangyayari ay marami na namang magiging adik, marami na namang mamamatay sa overdose, marami na namang masisira ang buhay,” he emphasized, reiterating his administration’s focus on prevention and rehabilitation.
“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 Chief Executive also ordered authorities to continue the war on drugs, targeting both large syndicates to street-level pushers, and to monitor the country’s coastlines and maritime routes for possible drug smuggling attempts.
-jpv
