Filtered By: Topstories
News

PHL drug trade loses P500B due to Duterte’s war, Bato says


The country's drug industry has suffered losses of up to P500 billion over the past year due to the intensified anti-drug campaign of the Duterte administration, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Wednesday.

Dela Rosa said this was based on the PNP's computation that took into consideration the current street value of P5,000 per gram of shabu and the 1,309,776 drug suspects who have surrendered.

“Based on the daily consumption estimate of the 1.3 million surrenderers at 200 milligrams for every user,  there was a demand reduction of 85,589 kilos," Dela Rosa said.

"This translates to losses of about  P500 billion to drug traffickers,” he said in his speech during the 116th Police Annniversary.

He said from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017,  a total of 86,030 drug suspects have been arrested and 3,264 killed.

For the same period,  a total of 8,195 high valve targets have been identified. Of the number, 1,340 have been arrested; 3,522 have surrendered; 141 were killed during police operations, while the deaths of 104 others are still under investigation.

A total of 3,088 high value targets meanwhile are already deceased, in rehabilitation, abroad, or cannot be located.

He said 65 PNP personnel have been killed while conducting operation while 170 were wounded.

In his speech, Dela Rosa reiterated the PNP's commitment to peace and order and the fight against illegal drugs even as he mentioned the continuing support of President Rodrigo Duterte to the campaign.

“We have lost men in Marawi City and continue to lose more in the war against crime and illegal drugs but the PNP never losses heart not when the streets are now becoming safer, not when  people are grateful that there is now lesser drugs in the communities,” Dela Rosa said.

“Not when we have no less than the President of the Republic [desiring] nothing more than to give every Filipino a drug-free and safe country and who stays at the frontline of the war on drugs giving and providing the energy and courage to continue the fight no matter what it takes,” he added.

Dela Rosa said it was also important that the President took "the cudgels for the poor and the  oppressed against the few high and mighty.”

Dela Rosa said the PNP will not back out of the fight because they know the President is behind them.

He added the police officers will remain loyal to the ideals and dreams of Duterte for the nation.

“Yes, Mr. President, we heard you loud and clear when you reminded us not to nurture loyalty to your person but I humbly tell you that you cannot take away from our hearts our loyaly to your ideals, dreams, and aspirations, for a drug free, peaceful nation [for] which every Filipino deserves and wishes,” he said. —NB/KVD, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT