Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

MANILA - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Thursday that it executes “human rights-based” anti-illegal drug operations under the Marcos administration.PDEA spokesman Atty. Joseph Frederick Calulut  said the agency is more focused on demand reduction in fighting the drug menace.“‘Yung programa po ng ating Director General is aligned with the program of our President na kung mayroon tayong mga anti-illegal drug operations, it must be human rights based,” PDEA spokesman Atty. Joseph Frederick Calulut  explained in a television interview Thursday.He added that the agency observes ways to prevent human rights violations and deaths during the conduct or anti-narcotics operations.“One of the means is the use of body-worn camera. So, iyong sa paglabag ng karapatang pantao iyan po ang primary na objective po na ginagawa ho ngayon ng PDEA,” Calulut noted.“Kung titingnan po natin ang ating datos – this is comparative lang ano po – ilan ho ba iyong namatay compared noon? Ang laki ng decrease, that’s 95 percent po,” Calulut said, seemingly pertaining to the bloody drug war of the Duterte administration.However, the PDEA official admitted challenges in monitoring the country’s archipelagic borders against the entry of crystal methamphetamine also known as ‘shabu’ which he said is the “most prevalent drug” in the country.“Kung titingnan po natin ang geography ng ating bansa, we have a very vast coastline so hindi po kayang bantayan po ang buong coastline po ng Pilipinas para masugpo iyong pagpasok po ng iligal na droga,” he said.Marijuana is the second most confiscated drug in anti-narcotics operations, according to Calulut.“Doon sa ating mga kabundukan – doon po nagtatanim ng marijuana na iyan naman po ang inilalabas doon sa—halimbawa po Cordilleras, marami ho tayong mga marijuana plantation sites doon... iyan po ang nilalabas sa Cordillera, it will be brought to the NCR or and other provinces like Region VI-A po,” he stated.Calulut mentioned that they recently entered into an agreement with Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) to foster data and technology sharing on drug importation and supply detection.The number of barangays that are considered “drug cleared” are at 29,390; 6,113 are classified as “drug affected” while 320 are tagged as “drug unaffected” or villages that have no history of illegal drug-related activities.Calulut also mentioned that confiscated illicit drugs are taken to a disposal facility in Cavite for scheduled destruction.<div>DRUG MONEY</div>Amid the election period, Calulut said they are constantly checking the veracity of reports of candidates allegedly using drug money for their expenditures.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/12/duterte-fails-to-get-immediate-tro-vs-arrest-1722">Duterte fails to get immediate Supreme Court reprieve after arrest</a></div>&quot;Iyong sa paggamit naman po ng drug money, hindi pa naman po ito verified although marami ang nagsasabi na may nagri-report na mga tumatakbong politiko raw – this is a very regular especially during election kasi marami hong nagri-report na mga kalaban nila sa politika para lang siraan ho pero these are all being verified by the PDEA,” he said.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Thursday that it executes “human rights-based” anti-illegal drug operations under the Marcos administration.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Thursday that it executes “human rights-based” anti-illegal drug operations under the Marcos administration.

Marcos admin’s anti-narcotics campaign 'human-rights based'

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Marcos admin’s anti-narcotics campaign 'human-rights based'

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 13, 2025 11:55 PM PHT

Read More:

PDEA

Marcos administration

Atty. Joseph Frederick Calulut

illegal drugs

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