CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City—The Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año reaffirmed the military’s commitment to the country’s war on illegal drugs, citing the February 2017 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
“The pronouncement came after President Rodrigo Duterte signed a memorandum tasking PDEA as sole agency to conduct the anti-illegal drugs campaign of the government,” said AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Marine Colonel Edgard Arevalo.
“The AFP has always been in support role to PDEA, Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in any illegal drugs operations, unless we are otherwise requested to lead especially in conflict-affected areas,” Col Arevalo added.
The recent memorandum from the Commander in Chief signed on 10 October 2017 directs the “PNP, NBI, Bureau of Customs, and all other government agencies to leave to the PDEA the conduct of all campaigns and operations.”
“In line with the February 2017 MOA, the AFP has been a significant force provider to the anti-illegal drugs operations, especially in conflict-affected areas, particularly where conditions for insurgency, secessionism, and terrorism persist,” General Año said.
The AFP also expanded the Joint Counterintelligence Task Force (JCTF) NOAH, an ad hoc unit created and mandated by the AFP to conduct drugs-related counterintelligence operations .
NOAH assists law enforcement agencies in the identification, investigation, and neutralization of persons in the use, sale, manufacture, and distribution of illegal drugs.
Regional task groups under the AFP Unified Commands were also established to coordinate direct action, intelligence, legal support, and community relations to PDEA, as force employer, and its regional offices nationwide.
Recent data from the regional task groups show a total of 6,981 operations have been jointly conducted since July 2016 to September 2017, resulting to the arrest of 1,241 drugs suspects and killing of 146.
Joint raids of drug laboratories also yielded a total of P1.9-billion shabu manufacturing equipment, significantly crippling the production of methamphetamine in the country. More than 52 kilos of shabu were also confiscated in the operations.
Internal security operations conducted against terror groups also resulted to the neutralization of several drug suspects in Mindanao.
The military apprehended Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) kidnap-for-ransom leader and illegal drug pusher Butchoy Hassan @Black/Bocci in Sitangkai, Tawi-tawi on 14 Mar 2017 by the JTF Tawi-tawi and Sitangkai Municipal Police Station. Hassan was also wanted in Malaysia for his involvement in the abduction of Taiwanese national Chang An Wei, alias Evelyn Chan, at the Pom Pom Island Resort in Sabah in November 2013.
This was followed by the apprehension of ASG and illegal drug pusher Al-sharif Ajibon @Panda among other three (3) ASG members and confiscation of one LPFA and undetermined amount of shabu in Indanan, Sulu during operations on 22 March 2017.
Eighteen drug personalities were also captured in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte on 10 December 2016; while 11 others were arrested and shabu worth P1-million confiscated in Pikit, North Cotabato on 17 March 2017.
“I commend our soldiers for their professional and efficient intelligence and manpower support afforded to PDEA and the PNP in their anti-illegal drugs operations. Rest assured that despite our focus on our mandate to address internal and external threats to the country, we will not lose sight on the drugs scourge and will actively support PDEA in its endeavors,” General Año said. (AFP-PAO-PR)
