PDEA chief says coordination with BOC vs. drug smuggling ongoing

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) continues to coordinate with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as regards the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country, the chief of the anti-drugs agency vowed on Tuesday.

"We continue to coordinate with Commissioner Guerrero, we have joint operation at hand," Director General Wilkins Villanueva said in a message to GMA News Online.

He said PDEA has been monitoring who are those behind the continued drug smuggling activities. Villanueva, however, did not provide further details about it.

On Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte told Customs chief Rey Guerrero to "shape up" as illegal drugs continue to flow into the country, even urging the official to "kill."

"I approved the purchase of firearms and until now wala kang napatay ni isa? Sabi ko sa kanya, 'Shape up,'" Duterte said. "Gusto ko pumatay ka diyan. Tutal back-upan kita e. Hindi ka makulong. Basta droga barilin mo. 'Yan ang usapan eh."

Earlier, Villanueva said there are no more huge drug laboratories in the Philippines as drugs usually come from other countries. — RSJ, GMA News