President Rodrigo R. Duterte said at least P56-billion worth of illegal drugs were seized by the government during his administration.
He said this was the result of the 180,000 anti-illegal drug operations conducted by the police.
“We will continue to work even harder not only to suppress the supply of narcotics in our streets, but also to prevent our country from being used as a trans-shipment point for illegal drug trade in the Asia-Pacific region,” Duterte issued the statement during his speech in Cavite on Thursday.
Duterte witnessed the destruction of over P7.5 billion worth of dangerous drugs at the Integrated Waste Management Inc. facility in Martirez City, Cavite.
The burning of the illegal drugs was in compliance to President’s order last Oct. earlier order for concerned government agencies to destroy almost illegal drugs they are keeping in their inventory, except small samples, as evidence.
Duterte said the measure aims to prevent unscrupulous anti-drug operatives to resell the said contraband items.
He urged members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to intensify their crackdown against the illegal drug trade, which he said, still continue despite the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“We must, therefore, remain steadfast in our campaign not only by intensifying our operations against drug trafficking, but also by reforming our criminal justice system and addressing the root cause of drug abuse and dependency,” Duterte said.
Image credits: AP/Aaron Favila