By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a meeting with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” C. Remulla pledged to step up the DOJ’s fight against illegal drugs by bolstering its collaborative efforts with other government/law enforcement bodies.
To recall, an earlier report submitted by the PNP to President Marcos showed that the total number of drug-related crimes recorded from July 1, 2022 to January 31, 2024 has plummeted down to 324,368 which is 10.66 percent lower than the 363,075 crimes logged between December 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022.
Despite the present administration’s significant victory in neutralizing the threat posed by dangerous drugs, the DOJ vows to continuously find ways in effectively combatting the perpetrators behind them without compromising basic human rights and respect for human dignity, as emphasized by the Chief Executive himself during his previous SONA.
Secretary Remulla also vowed to give his full support to DILG’s call to focus the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign on the supply side rather than the consumer side.
“The DOJ pledges to continue stepping up its collaborative efforts with other government agencies to combat illegal drugs and keep our communities safe. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate that the DOJ is one with the present administration’s ‘Bloodless Drug War’ and we will always bring our A game in fighting the drug menace by steadfastly upholding the Rule of Law,” Remulla emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Secretary has ordered the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to expedite the transfer of detained high-profile drug personalities to regional prison facilities to cut the alleged continuous production of illicit substances within the national penitentiary. (With report from Louisa Erispe/PTV News)
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