The Duterte administration is aiming to implement the war on drugs with a different approach when it decided to tap on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to lead antidrug operations, according to Presidential Spokesman Ernesto C. Abella.
At a news briefing on Monday, Abella said the government expects a higher standard of antidrug operations now that the PDEA will be the sole agency to implement the war on drugs. He added the PDEA is instructed to elevate the crackdown on illegal drugs and to widen the scope of the administration’s flagship campaign.
“[The] PDEA will now bring policy focus, expert performance standards, high-level coordination of oversight and centralized intelligence collection to the war on drugs. The PDEA will also lead in the establishing [of] a broad antidrug coalition, working with agencies, LGUs [local government units], civil society, the Church, business, academe and [the] media to push prevention and rehabilitation initiatives,” Abella said.
Asked if President Duterte was disappointed with the performance of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Abella only has this to say: “It’s not a question of failure, it’s a question of more effectivity, optimizing the efforts and [the government is] widening the scope of responsibility.”
The President on Tuesday ordered the military and police to leave the antidrug operations to the PDEA in order to streamline the crackdown on illegal drugs.
“Pursuant to the aforequoted provisions of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and in order to bring order to the operation/campaign against illegal drugs, thus pinpointing precise accountability, I hereby direct the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Postal Office and all other agencies or any and all ad hoc antidrug task force, to leave to the PDEA, as sole agency, the conduct of all campaigns and operations against all those who, directly or indirectly, and in whatever manner or capacity, are involved in or connected with, illegal drugs,” Duterte said.
The President also tasked the military and police to transfer to the PDEA all information and data with regard to the war on drugs.