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PDEA chief belies demoralization among personnel
(Updated 12:06 p.m.) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency head Arturo Cacdac on Monday dismissed claims of demoralization among the agency's ranks even as he belied allegations that he is afraid of crossing paths with Chinese drug rings.
Radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported Monday that Cacdac stressed on these during the day's flag-raising ceremony.
Gatus also reported that Cacdac asked the public not to judge him, adding he had long accepted he would have one foot in the grave since he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy.
Cacdac is a retired police general.
Radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported Monday that Cacdac stressed on these during the day's flag-raising ceremony.
Gatus also reported that Cacdac asked the public not to judge him, adding he had long accepted he would have one foot in the grave since he graduated from the Philippine Military Academy.
Cacdac is a retired police general.
After the flag-raising ceremony, GMA News' Mark Salazar reported on GMA News TV's News to Go that Cacdac stressed at a press briefing that it is not that easy to go after high profile targets, as due process must be followed.
Just because a person is on the PDEA watchlist, it does not mean the agency can simply catch them if they are not found with drugs in their possession, the report quoted Cacdac as saying.
'Demoralization'
'Demoralization'
Earlier reports quoted PDEA agent Jonathan Morales as claiming demoralization is threatening the PDEA as it failed to go after big-time drug lords.
He added the PDEA has yet to catch a Chinese drug lord or dismantled a drug laboratory since Cacdac assumed the top PDEA post in October last year.
Still, Cacdac said he did not expect the issue to end there. He admitted they cannot stop Morales from issuing statements to the media, and he recognized Morales' right to expression.
He also said he would refer the case to the regional director, the same News to Go report said.
PDEA Assistant Secretary Rene Orbe was also present during the flag-raising ceremony.
According to Morales, Orbe was previously on the PDEA watchlist when he was still regional director in Mindanao. Morales questioned Orbe's appointment to the PDEA main branch, noting that Orbe was the PSG of former President Corazon Aquino.
Orbe admitted that he was the PSG of the former president, but said he had already been cleared from the watchlist. According to Orbe, this was simply persecution from the past PDEA administration, and there was never a court case saying he was a coddler of drug syndicates.
But according to Cacdac, there is no truth to the allegations of demoralization, and work goes on for the organization's 1,200 agents.
Still, Cacdac said he did not expect the issue to end there. He admitted they cannot stop Morales from issuing statements to the media, and he recognized Morales' right to expression.
He also said he would refer the case to the regional director, the same News to Go report said.
PDEA Assistant Secretary Rene Orbe was also present during the flag-raising ceremony.
According to Morales, Orbe was previously on the PDEA watchlist when he was still regional director in Mindanao. Morales questioned Orbe's appointment to the PDEA main branch, noting that Orbe was the PSG of former President Corazon Aquino.
Orbe admitted that he was the PSG of the former president, but said he had already been cleared from the watchlist. According to Orbe, this was simply persecution from the past PDEA administration, and there was never a court case saying he was a coddler of drug syndicates.
Over the weekend, Malacañang said it will look into the allegations of demoralization.
“We’ll look into these allegations (but) we’d like to know, this is the first time I heard of this, I want to look at the allegations first before we answer properly,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on government-run dzRB radio on Saturday.
Valte also said she is not aware at this time of any threats to the lives of the PDEA personnel concerned. — with Carmela G. Lapeña/RSJ, GMA News
Tags: pdea
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