PDEA's Aquino: P7.6-B illegal drugs seized in 1st eight months of 2019

DINALUPIHAN, Bataan —The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has confiscated P7.6 billion worth of illegal drugs from January to August this year, PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said Thursday.

Aquino made the announcement when he, along with Vice President Leni Robredo, graced the third anniversary of Bahay Pagbabago which is a community-based reformation center for drug dependents in Dinalupihan.

Robredo and Aquino serve as co-chairs of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs.

“Our program consists of supply reduction, demand reduction, and harm reduction. But for the first eight months of 2019 alone, we have confiscated 1,130 kilos of illegal drugs worth P7.6 billion,” Aquino said.

“Ganyan po kalaki ang ating problema sa droga,” Aquino added.

Likewise, Aquino said that the illegal drugs are smuggled through mails and parcels from the United States and through the Golden Triangle drug syndicate which ships illegal drugs in Southeast Asia, Australia, and Europe using Chinese teabags.

He also called on the "reformists" or those who underwent rehabilitation to stay the course and help the government in fighting illegal drugs.

Vice President Robredo earlier said that based on her consultations with law enforcement authorities and various sectors in her capacity as ICAD-co chair, the main source of drug supply in the country is China, if not Chinese-run syndicates. —LBG, GMA News