DRUG syndicates from the United States and Mexico are trying to dump their supplies in the country, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“We have been coordinating with the US Drug Enforcement Administration regarding the groups supplying drugs here. There is an information that there are Mexicans involved here,” PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said in a news conference on Tuesday.

He disclosed that they had seized P78.8 million worth of shabu in Cavite and Parañaque City.

Aquino said the confiscated drugs came from California.





“For the past months of 2018, we [have seized] 18 shipments from California. These came through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport [NAIA],” he added.

Aquino said they also confiscated one shipment from The Netherlands and one from Congo.

“We will be coordinating with other airports in the country. Maybe it is not only in NAIA where the drugs are entering. We are also going to look out for airports in Davao and Cebu,” he added.

“Maybe we can’t catch drug suppliers because they are going through the international airports of Cebu, Davao and others since there are no task forces there,” Aquino said.

He added that the PDEA has seized 72.9 kilos of drugs worth P496 million in Clark International Airport and NAIA in 2018 alone, apart from other dangerous drugs such as ecstasy, kush, marijuana, hashish and cannabis oil.

The PDEA also on Tuesday was urged to file charges against politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade rather than engaging in shame campaign with “striptease” revelations.

Rep. Tomasito Villarin of Akbayan party-list made the call after the PDEA chief announced that at least six members of the House of Representatives are on the narco list.

“The PDEA’s list should be well-vetted and subject to due process as dragging names in public would be tantamount to declaring them guilty unless proven innocent. Cases should be filed first against concerned [lawmakers] and others on the list,” Villarin said in a statement.

“Regardless of status in life, people should be accorded due process and the rule of law, which has been continuously violated in President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s deadly war on drugs that claimed thousands of lives and families traumatized, [should be upheld],” he added.

President Duterte is already under preliminary examination by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of committing crimes against humanity for drug war deaths that already reached over 13,000, according to human rights groups.

The ICC action stemmed from a petition filed by lawyer Jude Sabio, counsel of self-confessed Davao Death Squad hitman Edgar Matobato, in May 2017.

“If charges are not filed, people speaking up to criticize the government’s drug war will [just] be lumped together with drug lords and personalities,” Villarin said.

with LLANESCA T. PANTI