Barbers vows House probe into police, PDEA informants allegedly securing confiscated drugs for selling

The House dangerous drugs panel will probe police assets or informants and Philippine Drug Enforcement (PDEA) agents who allegedly secure portions of confiscated illegal drugs in order to sell them, committee chairperson Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers  said Wednesday.

Barbers said such a scheme was revealed by PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo during Tuesday’s public hearing on proposed bills seeking to strengthen the 2002 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, among other related laws.

“The modus operandi of the scalawags PNP (Philippine National Police) and PDEA is that the [civilian] asset give [authorities] the information, and after the successful anti-drug operation, 30% nu'ng makukumpiska ay ibabalik sa asset para maibenta ito,” Barbers said in a Super Radyo DZBB interview.

(These informants get 30% of the confiscated drugs and sell them back.)

“We were shocked to hear it and the majority of our committee approved that we should conduct a motu proprio investigation in aid of legislation on this problem of [civilian] asset demanding that the portion of confiscated drugs be given back to them [for selling],” Barbers said.

Barbers said that while the 2002 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act provides for rewards for tipsters, such rewards would be much smaller compared to the profit that could be gained from the illegal drug trade.

“The ceiling for cash reward under our law is just P2 million at maximum,” Barbers said.

“This is a new modus, the reason why illegal drugs in the streets are increasing so we need to be aggressive in our campaign against illegal drugs and that,” Barbers added.

The PNP however said there is no such policy implemented by the police force.

"Wala pong ganyang policy ang pambansang polisya sapagakt alam po natin at maliwanag po sa lahat ng miyembro ng PNP na ang pagbibigay ng mga nahuhuling droga sa mga informant ay bawal at labag po sa batas," PNP public information chief Police Colonel Redrico Maranan said at a public briefing on Wednesday.

(The Philippine National Police has no such policy because we know and it is clear to all PNP members that giving confiscated drugs to informants is prohibited and illegal.)

According to Maranan, the confiscated drugs in operations are part of evidence and should be kept with integrity and should not be reduced.

He noted that the inventory of drug evidence is strict and needs to be witnessed by a personnel of the Department of Justice (DOJ), a member of the media, and an elected government official.

PDEA declined to comment when asked for reaction by GMA News Online.

“Apologies, we will decline interviews for now so as not to pre-empt the upcoming hearing,” PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon told GMA News Online in a message. —With a report from Joviland Rita/KG/RSJ, GMA Integrated News